ilyiw: Christmas with my new Daddy
by cpneb
Summary: What happens when you turn an 11.year.old loose, in 2029, at Christmas when her parents are Dr. Wade and Barrister Tara Load? For two very special young ladies, and all the blended families out there, in here....chapter 5 up. It's CHRISTMAS!
1. Chapter 1: Secrets

_**If lovin' you is wrong**_: **Christmas with My New Daddy**

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

What happens when you turn an 11-year-old loose in 2029 at Christmas when her parents are Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load and Barrister Tara Bluem Load?

I'm writing this for two very special young ladies in my life… you can probably guess who, but I won't tell you until the end of the story.

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

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Chapter 1: secrets

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Kathrine Elizabeth Load had a hidden smile in her heart.

Christmas was coming, after all, and she'd already gotten the bestest Christmas presents ever:

She had a new Daddy who loved her, and

She had a mother who loved her and was so much happier than Kathrine had ever seen her.

Her parents had surprised her at their wedding with the final papers, confirming her adoption and name change to Kathrine Elizabeth, what she'd always called herself, and Load, for her new father. She owed them, big time, and she was planning to pay, this Christmas.

-----

Ever since her mother had come home smiling, bigger than Kathrine had ever seen her smile in her life, Kathrine had suspected that Mom had met 'Him,' complete with her mom's ''air quotes:' so start-of-the-millennium,' Kathrine thought with a laugh. She remembered her mother's worries about talking to her about then-Wade/non-Dad, three days after she and Wade/non-Dad had gone out to eat at BonNed's:

---

"Kathrine, can I ask you a question?" Tara looked at her daughter across the dinner table.

"Sure, Mom: what's the sitch?" Kathrine looked up from her spaghetti.

Tara paused for a moment and realized that she was actually scared of what her daughter might say, but she realized that she'd raised her differently, so she dove into the deep end: "Kathrine, what would you say if I brought home a date who didn't look like us?"

"Please don't tell me you're dating a redhead, Mom," Kathrine laughed, and Tara laughed with her.

"Seriously, Kat: someone different, like, let's say: someone Asian, Hispanic, Indian, African-American…" Tara trailed.

"Who is it, Mom?" Kathrine put her fork down and looked at mother with a smile.

"Well," she started, and Kathrine was shocked:

'Mom's blushing! She's found someone she likes, and she really has the 'hots' for him or her, too!'

"I did meet a client today, Kat, and it turns out I knew him a long time ago."

"Someone from MHS? It's not Principal Barkin, is it: that would be sick and wrong, Mom," Kathrine laughed, and her mother stared at her for a moment and then laughed.

"No, daughter, it's not your principal," Tara visibly shuddered at the thought of bedding her former Assistant Principal. "Actually, he's younger than me."

"One of Aunt Kim's brothers?"

"NO!" Tara almost shouted: the idea of being married to a judge, even if one of them had been a 'Pep Puppy,' just didn't fit Tara's idea of 'fair and balanced justice.' 'They are kinda cute, though: cute like an exposed 500-amp wire,' Tara smiled.

"Well, who is it?"

"wade load," Tara ducked her head, pretending to take a bite and mumbling.

"Mom! You're mumbling, again."

"Wade Load," she raised her head, ready to take the rejection.

What she saw was, instead, a smile.

"Mom, you're in love, already. Was he the guy you went out with the night I had my Pixie sleepover? Did someone **else** have a sleepover?" Kathrine grinned.

"No, daughter," Tara grinned, "I did **not** have a sleepover that night. Dr. Load is a gentleman and a scholar…seriously," Tara laughed at her own 'Motor Ed' reference.

Kathrine thought for a moment, processing her mother's clues, and she hit the 'A-HA!' button:

"You're dating Dr. Wade Load, Aunt Kim's 'Q' and the co-founder of _**Blaze**_**IT!? **That's great for me: guaranteed built-in tutor for every science subject," Kathrine laughed.

"Mom, one question," she turned serious. "Do you love him?"

"Kat, I think he's the one…no, that's not true: I **know** he's the one, Kat. He makes me feel things…."

"Whoa, Mom, we're getting into the TMI area, now!"

"Not those things, Kat," Tara laughed, but she thought 'well, I had that dream last night…oh, my….' "I mean things like being treated with respect and caring and love, treated like a real woman."

"You mean, like oldDad wanted to be treated?" Kathrine grinned, and Tara blushed.

"Amp down, Mom: I knew about Dad's idea of 'playing dress-up,'" Kathrine smiled, and Tara blushed even more.

"Come on, Mom, you didn't even suspect it when he said he was shaving his legs for swimming? Dad didn't even **like** swimming, Mom...but, that's not important," Kathrine added, and Tara smiled: she's already picked up some 'Loaded' lines.

"So, Mom, if you love him, does he love you?"

"I'm pretty sure that the answer is a "YES!'"

"OK, Mom, so you love him, and you think he loves you. What are you waiting for?

"Mom," she said with her arms crosses over her chest, "so, he's African-American: this **is** the 21st century: that shouldn't matter to you: it certainly doesn't matter to me. Heck, most of my friends who have both parents have at least one of a different ethnicity: I guess I'm lucky we live here in Middleton, and the Space Center has attracted so many brilliant minds that aren't worried about the petty items like skin color.

"Love is all you need, Mom," she sang to Tara, then giggled: "See: I've even been listening to Granddad's 'oldies;' the ones that are coming back again, at least," and Kathrine kissed her mother's cheek and bounded out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

---

She had looked everywhere for Christmas presents; she'd been looking since school started in September, but she hadn't found anything that screamed how she felt. At least, that's what she thought.

Besides, what do you give to someone who has it all: Team Possible's "Q", the co-founder of _**Blaze**_**IT!** **Search and Rescue, **and a tenured professor at Middleton Institute of Science and Technology, not to mention the minor fact that he was a multi-millionaire from his own hands, not counting the monies from the royalties from his parents' music and books?

And, that was just her Father: her Mother owned her own successful law firm, having acquired one firm this year and in the process of acquiring another as she grew, primarily because of her successes in her cases and the incorrect beliefs that the new clients had that, if she was connected to Team Possible and _**Blaze**_**IT!**, they'd get preferential treatment. She'd told them otherwise, but they insisted on moving their business, anyway. Mom had had concerns about it, but she and Dad talked about it, and Dad was wise beyond his years: "If they're coming to you even after you've told them you have influences in those area, take the business and prove to then that they should have joined you long ago because you're the best, not just the most beautiful, Tara." That resulted in another 'hot tub' session, and Kathrine had to close her window that night...again.

'They're incorrigible," she thought as she lowered the window, "and I hope I'm lucky enough to find someone like Daddy to marry when I'm old enough to get married!" She laughed and turned on her portable white-noise generator and tried to go to sleep, but she had her pity party first…

-----

"I'll never be a pretty as Mom is," she had said to Wade one day while Tara was out of town, after they had moved into the house.

"Nonsense, Kathrine: you're a beautiful young woman now, and you're only getting more beautiful as you get older," was Wade's response as he continued setting up the holoprojector in the living room.

"Thank you, Daddy," she smiled, 'but I'll never look like Jessica: she's DDG, and I'm almost a negative cup," she whined, and Wade looked up.

"Kathrine, daughter, you won't have any trouble, unless it's fighting the boys off with a whip," Wade smiled at her. "We grow at different rates, dear."

"Yeah, but why did _**I**_ have to be the tortoise?"

That was at the first of October, and she was impatient.

"Don't worry, Kat," her mother had told her later that evening when she'd called home. "They'll come; besides, Jessica _**is**_ a bit older than you."

"I know, but…" and Kathrine went to sleep, still fretting a bit….

-----

She'd talked to several of her friends about the presents that they've given their dads for Christmas, and Kathrine was shocked: most of the ones who remembered what they'd given gave ties or had their mothers buy presents for them and slap their names on them! That was sooo last century….

She felt sorry for them a little bit: they didn't know what they were missing.

"Paranoia and irrational fears about giving the right gifts," she said as she rolled over and went to sleep after that frustrating quest was over.

Her 'net friend (who, it turned out, was also her best local older friend) Jessica, had given her some good ideas, but they didn't seem to fit her parents, and especially her Dad. They'd chatted long into the night one Friday in October before Jess, quite by accident, gave her the seed that grew into Kathrine's current quest.

She's talked to Aunt Betty, Uncle Ron and Aunt Kim, Uncle Ned and Aunt BonBon (Kathrine liked calling her that especially since Bonnie Rorem blushed and giggled when Kathrine called her that the first time, by accident,: Bonnie had told her that she was the only one who could call her that), Uncle Josh and Aunt Monique, and her favorite two troublemaker uncles: Judges James and Timothy. All of them offered to assist in funding, but Kathrine declined their offers: she had enough money from her allowance and from her other 'hobbies' that even Mom and Dad didn't know about…she thought…. Besides, a Christmas present should come from her, especially this one.

-----

Her Mom had made her dress up to meet Dr. Load. She really didn't mind, but she had to put up a fuss: daughter privilege, you know. She sat in the living room and was into her favorite 'light reading:' David Weber's _**Honor Harrington**_ series, specifically the second book in the series. She liked books –

"…strong women, like your mother?" the voice came from behind her, and she turned her head and smiled.

There, in her living room, holding the hand of her mother (like he truly meant it) was Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load, in the flesh. She closed her book after dropping in her bookmark and stood, turning to meet him.

Wade smiled as he looked at the pretty young girl standing in front of him, and he could see Tara in her. 'She's going to be a real heartbreaker when she gets older,' he thought. 'Like, in a year or two,' he grinned inside.

'She's already got the height, the legs, and the smile: she's even more confident that I remember Kim being at this age, and **that** was scary enough. With those legs,' he tagged this thought, 'I guess I'd better break out the throwing knives,' as he laughed in his head.

'I'm starting to sound like James Possible, and she's not even mine, yet.'

'But, you _**want**_ to be her father, don't you?' that other voice in the back of his head asked, with a smirk.

"Dr. Load," she extended her hand, and he bent down and lightly brushed her hand with his lips, causing her to turn pink with her blush.

"Miss Bluem, good day: Tara," he lifted his head and smiled at Tara, "you told me you had a daughter, but I guess I should have assumed that she would be as lovely as you," he lifted his head with a smile.

"Dr. Load, just what are your intentions toward my mother?" Kathrine asked, generating a look of horror from her mother and a chuckle from Dr. Load.

"Well, Miss Bluem: short-term, I intend to take the two of you out to dinner where, I hope, we will all enjoy ourselves immensely. Long term, that depends a great deal on two lovely ladies: I'm quite fond of one, and I know I'll grow to like the other almost as much. The older of the two ladies likes me, and I'm not certain about the younger, but something tells me that I just might grow on her.

"I certainly hope so; otherwise, these roses will go to waste" and he produced, from behind his back, a bouquet of yellow roses.

Kathrine squealed as she took the bouquet, then looked at her mother and asked with her eyes. Her mother shook her head, saying 'no, I didn't tell him that yellow was your favorite.'

"Thank you, Dr. Load: yellows are my favorite roses," Kathrine's smile told Wade he'd hit the target dead-center.

"Mine too, and they were my mother's favorites, too," Wade smiled.

"You're definitely moving up the list, Dr. Load," Kathrine smiled.

"Wade, please, Miss Bluem," he requested, and she mentally checked another item off.

'One more,' she thought as she smiled, "Of course, Wade, and only if you call me Kathrine, no middle 'e', please and thank you: I'm driving," she explained, and Wade laughed.

Kathrine mentally checked another one off her list: 'his laugh is real and relaxed, not fake.'

"I like your hair," Wade smiled, and Kathrine flipped it.

"You don't think it's too long?" she asked coquettishly, and Tara laughed as Wade sputtered.

'Gotcha! Houston, we have a winner! _**Ching Ching Ching Ching Ching**_!' she rang Wade up and put the 'Sold!' sign on him for her mother to see later: as far as she was concerned, Kathrine had found her new Dad.

-----

Kathrine laughed as she popped out of the muni-tube. Finally, the city of Middleton had figured out that GJ had burrowed under its surface like an unregistered mole, and the city decided that they wanted some of the action. Result: the first muni-tubes in the country, and solely for the citizenry; they ran at a much slower transport speed, of course, and they had eliminated a great deal of personal surface transportation. The kids took to it like ducks to water; the older folks still weren't totally comfortable with it, though, but the use was still growing, even after 10 years of use.

She knocked on the door, and a brown-haired woman opened the restaurant door.

"Hello, BonBon," Kathrine smiled, and she got a return hug from Bonnie Rorem.

"Kat, my fav YGF: how's tricks?" Bonnie asked as she ushered Kathrine into the restaurant.

"So, you left a cryptic message, Kat: what's the sitch?"

"I've got an idea," Kathrine began, and Bonnie's smile grew as she heard more and more.

"Count Ned and me in, Kat: I can't wait to see the look on their faces," Bonnie laughed.

"I'm just trying to do something nice for them, BonBon," Kat admitted, and Bonnie hugged her.

"I know, Kat, and I think it's wonderful that you love your new Dad so much that you're willing to put this much work into his Christmas present," Bonnie squeezed her, then let her go and looked into her eyes with a grin. "Besides, between you and me, I always thought that Wade was kinda cute, in his own way, of course,' Bonnie admitted and then laughed as Kat shot her a huge raspberry.

"What _**could **_you_**, would **_you, get for a man who has everything, or can get it, himself? There's not anything he doesn't already have or can't get," Kathrine laughed as she imagined the look on his face.

-----

"Tara, I do believe your daughter is up to mischief," Wade grinned over his breakfast of fruit and oatmeal.

"'My' daughter?" Tara asked, and Wade nodded.

"She's stirring up something, so she's 'your' daughter. 'Our' daughter certainly wouldn't cause any trouble like this," Wade smiled as he ate.

"Oh, really? So, whose daughter was it that dumped the laundry detergent into the hot tub to clean it?" Tara asked, and Wade pointed at Tara and frowned.

"And, whose daughter cleaned it up?" and Wade pointed at both of them and smiled.

"Daughter gets in trouble in school?" Wade points at Tara.

"Daughter gets accolades at school?" Wade points at both of them.

"I see," Tara stood, walked over to Wade, and sat in his lap.

"So, what is 'our' daughter up to, oh husband-of-mine?" She nibbled behind his ear, and Wade smiled and reached around her waist.

"Not certain, oh-luscious-wife, but it's a 'big,'" Wade replied as he stroked her back.

"Get a room, you two," Kathrine came down the stairs and into the kitchen, carrying her PosComm for schoolwork.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked, and her mother looked at the cabinets and smiled.

"Oh, man, not 'hunter-gatherer,' again," Kathrine mumbled as she pulled the granola boxes out of the cabinet with a grin.

"Oh, yeah, she's really upset about it," Tara commented as Kathrine juggled the three cereal boxes and placed the one she wanted on the cabinet and the others back onto the shelves.

"Talk about juggling your meal choices," Wade laughed as Kat blew him a kiss and then a gigantic raspberry.

"I love you too, Daddy," she smiled as she poured the milk she'd lifted from the 'fridge.

"I'm having chocolate for breakfast, daughter," Tara grinned as she nibbled on Wade's ear. "You get granola," Tara giggled as Wade squeezed her and then snuggled into her neck, nibbling on his own vanilla breakfast.

"Room, comma, get one, period," Kathrine shook her head as she began to eat.

"At least she's not juggling the liquids, 'T,'" Wade laughed as Tara cringed, then smiled as she started neck-nibbling of her own. She liked chocolate for breakfast, and Kathrine moaned, once again.

-----

"…and, you can have them both in. at the same time?" Kathrine was on the phone.

silence

"Great! Thank you, Midas, I really appreciate this."

Silence

"Oh, yes, it is a big, sir! I can't believe you knew my Dad, and I can't believe he doesn't know you're in town!"

Silence

"Why? Because, he'd already have made an appointment for my Mom, that's why," she laughed.

Silence

"Thank you, again, and you can use the account I gave you to cover the bill."

Silence

"Thanks, again, and maybe I'll come in…Aunt Shego recommends you highly! Bye, now," she clicked off and smiled.

"One more thing, and we're all set: this one should be the most fun…" and she called the Former Director of Global Justice, now the chief advisor to the Director of Global Justice (she wanted to take it easy): Elizabeth "Betty" Director-Adams, a.k.a. "Aunt Betty."

"Aunt Betty? This is Kathrine."

Silence

"Yes, I know, I owe you a visit, but I'll give you a chance to raise the bill."

Silence

"Aunt Kim already called?"

Silence, and a smile filled Kathrine's face.

"And, you're in?"

Silence, then

"Greaters, Aunt Betty, that's wonderful! I saved the best for last, and you've already agreed? ThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYou! You're Platinum!"

Silence

"Yeah, I know, I owe both you and Uncle CP a visit; I'll come up to Montana in the spring, and we can all go fishing: how does that sound?"

Silence, then a grimace crossed Kathrine's face.

"_**Ice**_ Fishing? But I'm delicate," Kathrine whined, and Betty's laugh came across the phone.

"All right, I'll go ice fishing with both of you. Darn it, where is the global warming when you need it?"

Silence

"Yes, I know, that's why you can go ice fishing in November; no lectures, please, and thank you, Aunt Betty," Kathrine laughed, and she smiled.

"One question: is Jordon going to be there?" Kathrine asked with a grin on her face.

Silence

"Greaters! Aunt Joss' oldest son is a riot," 'and kinda cute, too,' Kathrine thought.

Silence

"I love you, too; bye-bye," and Kathrine cut the circuit and dialed Jessica.

"Jess? Kat. I got the last piece, so you owe me the grapes, GF," Kathrine laughed.

Silence, and a howl could be heard over the phone.

"Yes, you didn't think I could pull it off, did you, and you didn't buy them, so, now, you're gonna have to shop for my favorite food all weekend?" Kathrine laughed.

"Too bad, so sad….for you," she laughed as Jessica moaned over the phone.

"Remember, it's got to be by Friday," Kathrine laughed and cut the circuit mid-moan.

Kathrine looked down at her PosComm and smiled:

"Great Rufus!" she quietly shouted. "I think I'm a'gonna pull this off."

**Author's afterward:**

Just what does Kathrine have planned for her parents?

Considering who she's been talking to, this should worry her parents…seriously

----

Mon-speak translations:

MHS – Middleton High School

TMI – too much information!

DDG – drop-dead gorgeous

GJ – Global Justice

YGF – young girl-friend

GF – girl friend

----


	2. Chapter 2: Surprises

_**If lovin' you is wrong**_: **Christmas with My New Daddy**

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

What happens when you turn an 11-year-old loose in 2029 at Christmas when her parents are Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load and Barrister Tara Bluem Load?

This is for two very special young ladies in my life…and you can probably guess who, but I won't tell you until the end of the story.

One quick note before we continue: I had some readers complain that I was cruel for locking them inside the mind of an 11-year-old, and another comment that "young girls are the most devious, dastardly, and dangerous force known to man. In a good way, of course." Having had no sisters, and then having a daughter, I can vouch for the latter and do not apologize for the former. Besides, Kathrine **_is_** in charge...or, at least, she doesn't show it so overtly that Tara and Wade are concerned. Poor parents...

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

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Chapter 2: Surprises

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Thursday, December 20, was Day 1 of Operation Parents-Smile, as Kathrine Elizabeth Load had named it. Kathrine lay in bed, smiling, that morning and heard her parents head down the stairs for breakfast before she got up and got dressed. She headed down the stairs, her secret already in motion as she heard her parents talking at the table.

She came down the stairs as she heard her mother talking about this new client who had contacted Scarlette yesterday in a panic and begged her to get Tara to meet Thursday Morning at 8:30 at their office: they had a major sitch that had come up, and they needed the best legal advice and assistance that there was. Everyone that they had talked to had told them that the person that they needed was Tara Load.

"So, Scarlette cleared my schedule and set me up to meet with them this morning at 8:30, downtown," Tara was explaining to Wade as Kathrine came around the corner.

"What about you, Wade? What's on your schedule for today?" Tara sat.

"Funny you should ask, Tara: the President's Assistant called Ivy Wray, our Area Assistant, last night at home and told her that the President needed me to meet this morning with him and a new foreign donor: a gentleman from Greece, she said. He was talking about major donations for new buildings, Ivy told her, but only if he could meet the famous Dr. Load, and the meeting **had** to be this morning at his new facilities. Ivy, like the wonderful assistant that she is, moved my entire schedule around so that I could make this meeting and then sent me the message.

"I don't know how I could ever get along without her," Wade admitted, and Kathrine chuckled, causing the two parents to look up at their daughter.

"Gee, Dad, that's what you used to say about Mom: is there a new woman in your life?" Kathrine asked innocently, and Wade sputtered as Tara laughed and gave Wade an 'Are you guilty?' look.

"You know what I mean, T!" Wade finally got the sentence out as his daughter laughed as her father tried, unsuccessfully, to not be unnerved.

"I don't know what our daughter was trying to say, but I know what you mean, Wade," Tara laughed as she reached over and took his hand. "And, I love you, too, my darling," she leaned over and kissed him, generating a moan from Kathrine.

"Jeez, in the kitchen, and before breakfast? Won't you let a girl eat, first?" Kathrine smiled as she spooned scrambled eggs from the pan onto her plate.

"What are your plans for today, Kat?"

"Not much, Dad: I'm planning to start reading the next in the set of Weber books, and there's a new holo coming out at noon that I've wanted to see: Jess and I may watch it, if she's not sucking face with Allen again, that is," Kat laughed.

"Now, Kat, give your friend a break: she's found a nice young man to spent time with, not one of those jerks, and she's entitled to some time away from her BFGF," Tara laughed as she finished her breakfast bowl and stood, heading for the disposal.

"Can I use the same line when I start dating?" Kathrine asked, and Wade laughed.

"You mean, when you turn 35?" Wade asked, and Kathrine generated another raspberry at her father after she swallowed her food. Sending raspberries with a mouthful of egg wasn't a good thing, she'd learned that morning when she'd sprayed Wade with breakfast: He had to change his shirt **and** suit after that baptism.

Tara headed to their bedroom and came back down with her briefcase and PosComm. She leaned over and kissed Wade, then Kathrine, and headed out the front door.

Wade looked at the clock, mumbled 'Frackle,' and followed his wife's trail: disposal, upstairs, downstairs, kiss daughter, and out the door.

Kathrine immediately picked up her PosComm as the door closed and called Scarlette and Ivy.

"Hello, co-conspirators," she said as they recognized her id on their phones. "The 'rents have left the coop; I repeat, the 'rents have left the coop. Initiating Phase 1 of Operation Parents-Smile,"

"Kat, you're insane," Ivy Wray proclaimed, "and I wish I had someone to do for me what you're doing for your parents."

"Be careful what you wish for, Ivy," Scarlette laughed. "My boss was looking for someone, and she ended up with Wade to go along with her hyper-daughter,"

"What do you think they'll say when they find out they're at the same place, later today?" Ivy asked.

"You don't want to know," Kathrine replied, and all of them laughed. "Especially, if they discover that the other one had nothing to do with it," she added.

"This is as good as that 'Kim'-wig you bought for me, Kat," Ivy laughed. "I thought that Wade was going to have a coronary when he walked in and saw that red hair at his desk."

"I'll hear about it when they get home tonight, I'm sure," Kathrine smiled into the phone.

"You're evil, Kat, and no one deserves this more than Tara and Wade," Scarlette grinned through the phone.

"Thanks, y'all: I'm dropping now to put the final touches on Phases 2 and 3 this weekend," Kathrine said and dropped the circuit. She then called another number.

"Yes, I was calling to confirm the delivery and work scheduled for Friday morning after 9:00 AM."

Silence

"That's right: Kathrine Load, address is 2242 N. Middleton Circle West. It's not hard to find: we're the only house on the circle," Kathrine laughed.

"Seven plantings: that's correct."

Silence

"The forecast is for the weather to turn nasty?" Kathrine frowned. "What's the next open date?"

Silence, and Kathrine winced at the schedule change.

"Christmas Eve morning? All right, Donovan: thanks; I appreciate y'all doing this for me."

Silence, then Kathrine laughed.

"Dad was a bear in class, this semester? Well, some things never change, Donovan," Kathrine grinned.

"Thanks, and I'll see you and the crew out here Monday morning. I'll even have treats for y'all: donuts and coco-moo!" and she cut the call.

-----

Tara opened the door and walked in, and she was surprised.

The supposed 'office' was an anteroom for another business, and she opened the glass door and walked into the lobby and spoke to the dark-haired lady behind the counter.

"Welcome to Mongo's," the receptionist spoke. "My name is Melanie Nix. Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes," Tara looked befuddled. "I have an 8:30 meeting with Mister Spagnopolis," she said, and Melanie smiled and punched a button on her comm console.

"Mr. Spagnopolis? Ms. Load is here," she spoke and nodded to the headset. "Yes, sir: I'll bring her back now," Melanie smiled as she touched her headset and stood.

"If you'll follow me, Ms. Load, I'll take you to him," Melanie smiled as she directed Tara through a set of doors and down a hall, turning right into what looked like a temporary office. A very plain desk and three chairs, including the one behind the desk, were the sole occupants.

Tara sat and waited, then turned when she heard the door open. Tara's jaw dropped and her mind dove, head-first, into the gutter.

The mountain of a man ('he **was** a gorgeous hunk,' she thought) was at least six foot nine, but his upper body showed that he'd lived in the gym. His rock-hard abs looked yummy, she grinned inside, and his muscles looked firm, as well…everywhere. His bleached-blond hair had a hint of gray, but only a hint, and it wasn't long in the front, but he had what appeared to be a baby mullet in the back. What did raise her eyebrow were his eyebrows: bleach-blond, as well.

"Good morning, Miss Bluem," he spoke, and he was almost accent-less. "My name is Mongo Spagnopolis, but you can call me 'Midas,'" he smiled, and he had perfect teeth, as well.

"Are you ready for your day?" he asked, and Tara raised a questioning eyebrow. Mongo grinned.

"Of course, you don't know," he replied to her eyebrow.

"You have an all-expenses-paid spa day, by someone who obviously loves you a great deal, as a Christmas gift. That person also arranged for your office schedule to be clear all day so that you can relax and enjoy the 'Midas touch,'" Mongo smiled, and Tara mentally promised to make Wade's night a 'night to remember.'

Tara smiled. "You can't tell me who, can you?"

He smiled and shook his head 'no'. "'Mongo only pawn, in game of life, Ms. Load,'" he grinned, and Tara groaned.

"You saw the movie," she stated, and he laughed.

"Alex was my hero, growing up; I held vigil when he left us," Mongo laughed.

"So, where would you like to start, or would you like to allow me to guide you?"

"Guide me," Tara smiled, and Mongo held out his hand. Tara took it and smiled, thinking about the upcoming day.

'Somebody really loves me,' she thought.

-----

Melanie Nix had just returned to her desk and seat when the gentleman and lady entered the front door, and Melanie smiled.

Wade was surprised at the facilities: he didn't know that this had opened.

The lady accompanying Wade strode to the counter and smiled at Melanie.

"Welcome to Mongo's," the receptionist spoke. "My name is Melanie Nix. Do you have an appointment?

"Yes," the lady replied as she handed Melanie two cards. "Doctors Lupe McBride and Wade Load, here to see Mister Spagnopolis," she stated, and Melanie smiled and touched her headset.

"Mr. Spagnopolis? Doctors McBride and Load are here," she spoke and nodded to the headset. "Yes, sir: I'll bring them back now," Melanie smiled as she touched her headset and stood.

"If you'll follow me, Doctors, I'll take you to see him," Melanie smiled as she directed them through the set of doors and down the short hallway; they turned left and to what looked like a very nice office.

"Can I get you anything?" Melanie asked, and Wade shook his head 'no.'

"Could you please direct me to the 'room?'" Dr. McBride asked, and Melanie led her out of the room, leaving Wade alone in the office.

Wade sat and waited for only a few seconds, then turned when he heard the door open. Wade's jaw mentally dropped and his mind dove, head-first, into the gutter as he smiled and stood. This was no 'he.'

Tara had given Wade, in writing, his license to look but not touch (not that he had any reason to ever touch!), but he was taking full advantage of that viewing license, now.

The vision in front of him reminded him of taller, younger Bonnie Rorem, but her hair was lighter, more like Tara's from her cheer days. What she wore should never be allowed in the university, he thought with a smile.

She was a beautiful woman, Wade thought, lovely and with a beautiful face, as well. Her hair was long, almost down to her ass, and a sun-bleached blond, but on her it worked, he thought. Her skin was well bronze-kissed from quality time in the sun, and her muscles, shown in her one-piece skin-tight short tunic dress were well-formed. Shapely from her head to her toes, she looked familiar, but he couldn't place her.

"Good morning, Dr. Load," she spoke, and she was almost accent-less, a soft, musical voice. "My name is Mauri Spagnopolis, but you can call me 'Athena,'" she smiled; she had perfect teeth, as well.

"Are you ready for your day?" she asked, and Wade raised a questioning eyebrow. Mauri grinned.

"Of course, you don't know.

"You have an all-expenses-paid spa day as a Christmas gift. Someone who loves you a great deal thinks that you need a chance to relax before Christmas. That person arranged for your office schedule to be cleared the entire day so that you can relax and enjoy the 'touch of a goddess,'" Mauri smiled, and Wade mentally promised to make Tara's night a 'night she'd never forget.'

Wade smiled. "You can't tell me who, can you?"

He smiled and shook his head 'no'. "'I'm sorry, Dr. Load, but it's a need-to-know basis only: it's like 'secret borrowing,'" she grinned, and Wade groaned.

"You've been around Ronald Stoppable, haven't you," he accused her, and she laughed.

"I've followed Ronald and his wife for years, Dr. Load, and you, too, as well," Mauri said. "I've always known that you were brilliant, but I didn't know you were **this** handsome," she blushed and smiled as Wade blushed, as well.

"So, where would you like to start, or would allow me to 'guide' you?"

"I'd prefer to be led, Miss Athena," Wade smiled, and Mauri held out her hand. Wade took it with a smile of things to come.

Wade forgot about his University President Lupe McBride as he had another thought:

'Somebody **really** loves me,' he thought.

-----

Kathrine had her day planned: watching that new holo with her BFGF Jessica, some reading time, a nice nap in the wonderful winter afternoon, and then cooking dinner for her parents tonight.

'I doubt that they'll be in any condition to cook,' she giggled as she opened the door for Jess and laughed as Jess pulled the large container behind her, but her laugh turned into amazement

"Here's your first load, Load," Jess laughed as Kathrine gawked at the mound of fruit.

"What am I going to do with all this fruit? How much is here?" Kathrine wailed.

"Oh, only 20 pounds, to the second question. To the first: I don't know," Jess grinned evilly; "maybe…make a lot of grape jelly?" she laughed as Kathrine changed the fruit to raspberries.

"Did you get the holo, Kat?" Jess asked, and Kat nodded.

"I've got it: the newly released and uncut version of _**Revenge of the Lowardians III: the Terran Response**_."

"Oooh," Jess grinned. "Big, green, and goin' down, hard!" Kathrine laughed as she hugged her friend.

"What was that for?" Jess asked.

"Because you gave up Allen-time for me," Kathrine smiled.

"I really wanted to watch the holo, and Allen just isn't into it, or so he claims," Jess said as she closed the door and headed to the living room. She stopped and turned to Kathrine: "living room, right?" and Kathrine nodded.

"Good."

"It will be," Kathrine laughed as she headed for the kitchen with the crate of black grapes.

She returned in a few minutes to find Jess out of her coat and playing with the remote, scrolling through the old Christmas movies that were on. Jess looked up and laughed as Kathrine rolled in a cart with cookies, coco-moo, and hot cider.

"Hey: it's winter, and I want us to enjoy ourselves and get comfortable," Kathrine laughed and pulled the cart up to the couch, stopping and pouring two large mugs, one for each of them, and carefully placed two huge cookies, chocolate-chip-and-oatmeal, on each plate. She handed a mug and plate to Jess: she smiled and took both from her hostess. Kathrine took hers and sat, tucking her feet under her as she settled into the couch and nodded at Jess.

Jess clicked to the MajorMovieChannel, selected the holo and 'play,' and the window coverings closed as the lights lowered for viewing. The room was awash in swirls of color for several seconds, and then the sound and fury began with the image of the collision of the two Lowardians and their Lowardian spacecraft in the Earth atmosphere, their bodies disappearing as the spacecraft burned them but was deflected enough to land, in a huge splash, into Lake Middleton, the dam amazingly holding from the push of the huge wave created.

Kathrine sipped her coco-moo and smiled at Jess.

"I'm gonna get a BF, Jess," she said as the opening scene played out. Jess turned her head slightly and grinned at Kathrine.

"Why rush things, Kat?"

"So we can double-date, Jess."

"Like, you think your parents will let you double?" Jess laughed. "Heck, Kat, my parents won't even let me **date** until I'm 16!" Jess exclaimed.

"Do you're really thing you're going to get a BF past your parents?" Jess asked.

"IYD, Kat: you can PDP your dad, but your mom used to be a cheerleader, and she won't let you near any boys until you're at least 35," Jess grinned and shushed Kat as the actor playing the young 'Ron Stoppable' gently landed and reached his hand out to his 'Kim Possible,' her face awash in amazement and shock. 'Kim' then suddenly threw her arms around 'Ron's' neck in her emotional outburst.

"I love that scene," Kathrine whispered dreamily.

"Been there, done that," Jess commented nonchalantly, and Kathrine's head whipped around to see Jess calmly sipping her coco-moo with a small knowing smirk on her face.

"Spill, GF," Kathrine commanded, and Jess grinned.

"It was a hug, but Allen hugs **real** good," Jess smiled, remembering it well. "It was on a Tuesday…"

-----

She had died and gone to heaven, Tara thought as she tightened her incredibly-soft-and-warm robe. She sat, lifted the lid at her table, sniffed, and smiled at the offering before her: a huge tossed salad accompanying a bowl of thick, rich tomato-basil soup.

"Midas does, indeed, have the 'golden touch,'" Tara giggled as she tasted her soup.

He relaxed muscles that she didn't know she had. "For a lawyer, you're awfully tense," Midas joked.

"Try having an 11-year-old, a new husband, and a major business expansion, all in one year, and you'd be tense, too," she shot back as she lay on her stomach as Midas massaged her bare back and shoulders.

"You married Doctor Wade Load, correct?"

"Do you know him?"

"Only met him once," Midas replied as he released another knot from Tara's shoulders, eliciting a low moan from her, "but we corresponded several times; he arranged Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable's honeymoon on the island, and they both came to see me several times while they were there," he grinned, "well, while they weren't 'busy,'" he laughed, and Tara smiled into the table.

"He was the one that suggested that I expand from the island; that's what gave me the idea of opening here: far enough from the maddening crowds of Go City and New York but close enough for my Dallas/Ft. Worth and West coast clients. They're all ecstatic: no more trans-oceanic flights, even with the scramjets," he talked as he continued.

Delicious.

Both the meal and his touch: delicious.

The first massage was only an introduction: the mud bath was strange yet comforting, and the wrap (not real seaweed, of course, but something that must have felt very much like it) made her feel sooo comfortable and relaxed.

As she ate, she thought back about this past year and smiled.

The year started with her and her daughter; that was not a bad thing, but she even missed Dick on New Year's Day, complete with his annoying habit of narrating the parades. Tara was happy, but she wasn't happy. Kathrine was happy, but she wasn't happy, either…not like she was, now.

Tara realized that her daughter's mood was impacted by her mother's mood: mother wasn't happy with life, just going through the motions, BW…until she ran into her office and found him there, and her heart jumped as she devoured her salad and thought of her new life, AW.

'Kathrine's so happy; she's almost as happy as I am,' remembering the look on her daughter's face at the wedding reception as she took almost as many congratulations as the couple for her announced adoption and inclusion in the new Load family.

"He did this for me, and he's getting a 'Thank You' tonight that he'll never forget," Tara finished her soup with a smile.

She leaned back for a moment and realized that Scarlette had opened her day without telling her. She looked around for a phone, but there was none to be found. She mentally made a note to give Scarlette an extra bonus above what she'd already received: 'she deserves it, if for no other reason than encouraging me to 'kiss the guy.''

"Are we ready?" Midas called through the door, and Tara stood and stretched. She stepped over to the door and opened it, smiling.

"Most assuredly," she said as he led her back to the table.

-----

He had died and gone to heaven, Wade thought as he tightened his incredibly-soft-and-warm robe. He sat and lifted the lid at his table and smiled at the offering: a hearty cup of buffalo stew and a wonderful lunch-sized Caesar salad.

Mauri's touch was magical as she removed the tension from his body: his shoulders and back had never felt so very relaxed. He was amazed at her hand and arm strength, but he laughed the hardest at the mud bath, noticing the feminine footprints leaving the other mud pit. 'Someone's almost relaxed as I,' he thought as he settled into the warm mixture. 'Mom would never have let me play in this much mud,' he thought as he remembered his mom, her smile as he walked across the stage at his graduation, and his cheering section as he yelled "This is for Stephanie!" as he accepted his PhD, Stephanie standing with his parents and cheering. 'I miss you both: Dad, Mom,' he thought as he fought back a tear.

As he finished the salad, he remembered the start of this year: he thought he was happy in his house, Wadebots running merrily around, taking care of the chores in the huge house as he sat and watched the games on New Years' Day. Even though he missed his parents, he never imagined how lonely he was in his house until he came home after that first date with Tara. He opened the front door, stepped in, and felt alone for the first time since he'd lost his parents.

That was when he knew that he needed her.

And, Kathrine…He chuckled as he took another bite of the buffalo stew. She'd captured his heart the first time he saw her, but she locked it up and threw away the key, later….

Tara had been called out of town on a major case and asked Wade to stay over and keep an eye out for Kathrine. They had a great time talking over a wonderful dinner that she prepared: Blackened Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, and he had marveled at her fruit compote combination for dessert.

He was in the living room, watching the news, when she came downstairs in her gown and robe, crawled up into his lap like a big little kitten, looked up at him with those big eyes, and asked:

"Are you going to be my new Daddy, Wade?"

Wade looked into her eyes and felt a connection with Kathrine that almost frightened him. He'd never felt anything like this, before: he had shivers all inside and outside of his body.

"Would you like that, Kathrine?" He asked her with a smile, and Kathrine smiled up at him like a warm summer's morning.

"I really would, Wade, and I suspect that Mom would really like it, too," she replied, and Wade's eyes moistened a bit.

She reached up and kissed Wade's cheek. "I voted you **onto** the island on that first visit, and I told Mom that, too," she giggled as she climbed down and stood in front of him.

"I just though you should know," she smiled, blew him a kiss, and ran back to her bedroom, calling "G'Night, DTB!" over her shoulder as she bounded up the stairs as Wade's tears won the battle and moistened his face in joy.

'She likes me: she really likes me!' he laughed inside as he wiped the tears from his face.

Tara was away for four more days, but Wade took that time to prepare. The first night that she invited him over after she returned, he proposed.

He finished his stew and sat back, smiling. What a year, and what a Christmas present he'd been given: 'two, for the price of one,' he smiled as he pushed back from the table.

He sat, relaxing for a few minutes, before a small knock on the door and it opened.

"Ready for more?" Mauri came in, and Wade smiled and stood.

"What's next?" he asked, and she smiled.

"Your muscles are still tight, Dr. Load: you need more massage, more relaxation, and then the final massage before you go home," she smiled as they headed back for the rest of the day's activities.

-----

The doorbell rang, and Jess stopped the holo as Kathrine ran to the door after checking the viewer: the National Express delivery truck was out front.

"Miss Load?" he held out the pad, and she signed as he handed her a thin package.

"By the way, Miss Giggs has a package, as well: her mom told me that she was here."

"JESS!" and Jessica came running.

"Miss Giggs? Please sign," he handed her the pad, and she took it, signed, and handed it back, receiving a thin package, as well.

"Thank you, ladies, and have a good holiday season," he smiled as he turned and walked back to his truck.

Kathrine closed the door, and she and Jess headed back to the living room and the coco-moo. They each grabbed their warming mugs and drank deeply, then looked at the front of the envelopes.

Jess looked quizzical, and Kathrine grinned.

**Author's afterward:**

What did Jessica and Kathrine receive in their packages? And, from whom?

----

Mon-speak translations:

BFGF – best friend girl friend

BF – boy friend

IYD – in your dreams

PDP – puppy-dog-pout

GF – girl friend

BW/AW – Before Wade / After Wade

DTB – daddy-to-be


	3. Chapter 3: Silence

_**If lovin' you is wrong**_: **Christmas with my new Daddy**

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

What happens when you turn an 11-year-old loose in 2029 at Christmas when her parents are Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load and Barrister Tara Bluem Load?

This is for two very special young ladies in my life…and you can probably guess who, but I won't tell you until the end of the story.

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

-----

Chapter 3: Silence

-----

The doorbell rang, and Jess stopped the holo as Kathrine ran to and opened the door after checking the viewer: the National Express delivery truck was out front.

"Miss Load?" the driver held out the pad, and she signed as he handed her a thin package.

"By the way, Miss Giggs has a package, as well: her mom told me that she was here."

"JESS!" and Jessica came running.

"Miss Giggs? Please sign," he handed her the pad, and she took it, signed, and handed it back, receiving a thin package, as well.

"Thank you, ladies, and have a good holiday season," he smiled as he turned and walked back to his truck.

Kathrine closed the door, and she and Jess headed back to the living room and the coco-moo. They each grabbed their warming mugs and drank deeply, then looked at the front of the envelopes.

Jess looked quizzical, and Kathrine grinned.

Jess opened her envelope, pulled out a single sheet of paper, and screamed. Kathrine stared at her.

"OMG, Kat, open yours! Open Yours!"

Kathrine opened her envelope, pulled out a single sheet of paper and read:

17 December 2029

Miss Kathrine Elizabeth Load:

Greetings from Mongo's!

You have in your hand a very special gift from a friend: an all-day, unlimited pass to our new spa in Middleton, Colorado, including a minimum of a 90-minute massage from Midas himself!

Please call us after December 25th to schedule your appointment.

Again, congratulations, and we here at Mongo's hope that you have a Happy Holiday Season.

(signed) Mongo Spagnopolis

"Is yours the same?" Kathrine asked, and Jess nodded, a permanent smile implanted on her face.

"Kat, did _you_ do this?" Jess asked, and Kathrine shook her head 'no.'

"Who did?" Jess asked, the smile still plastered on her face.

"No clue, Jess: no clue," Kathrine replied with a smile. "But, I'm not looking this gift horse in the mouth," she added.

"Naaaaayyyyyyy," Jessica replied.

Kathrine slapped at her, laughing as she re-started the holo.

-----

"How was your visit, Ms. Load?" Melanie asked. "I trust that your stay both met and exceeded your expectations," she smiled.

"That, Melanie, would be an understatement," Tara replied with a huge smile on her face and a bag in her hand.

"I'm glad," Melanie replied. "Mongo strives to keep his customers happy."

"Between Mongo and Mauri, I'm certain that I've been assaulted, based on the laws of several states and the District of Colombia," Tara smiled calmly, and Melanie laughed loud. "However, I believe I'll decline to file charges," she grinned.

"That's an excellent decision, Ms. Load," Melanie smiled, and Mongo came walking out with a smile on his face.

"I trust your visit here was satisfactory," Mongo smiled as Tara nodded her head several times.

"Now, I just have to be able to walk outside," she grinned, and Mongo took her hand and gently brushed it with his lips.

"I have enjoyed our time together, Ms. Load, as has my sister: please, don't be a stranger," he smiled, and he looked up with a big grin on his face as he heard the door open:

"Shego!" he shouted as the raven-haired woman came through the doors with a frown on her face that immediately disappeared when she saw Mongo.

"Midas!" she smiled and held her arms open. He walked into them and embraced her, kissing her warmly.

"Ms. Load, this is one of my favorite clients," Mongo said when his lips separated from Shego's.

"Miss Shego, good afternoon," Tara smiled, and the two ladies hugged and traded air kisses.

"Tara, what are you doing here?" Shego asked with a grin.

"Someone gave me some time with Midas for a Christmas present," she replied, and Shego laughed.

"Sounds like that amazing husband of yours. 'Nerdlinger always **was** a gentleman," she laughed, and Tara mock-swung at her.

"Hey! NO 'dissie' my hunk-o-chocolate!" Tara laughed.

"Hey, none for me, thanks: I'm only into 'blue food,' remember," Shego grinned, and Mongo and Melanie laughed.

'Well, I'm going to try to get this overly-relaxed body home before I fall over, after all of this," Tara smiled and brushed Mongo's cheeks, then did the same to Mauri.

"Thank you for an amazing day," Tara smiled.

"You're more than welcome," Mauri smiled as she walked over and opened the door for Tara. She managed to make it to the door without falling over, the smile still on her face as she opened the outer door and headed for the muni-tube launch point.

Mauri counted down with a grin: "And, 5...4…3…2…1…now," the door opened and Wade stepped out, a huge smile on his face that grew when he saw Shego, matched only by hers.

"Hello, 'nerdlinger,'" she grinned.

"Hey there, 'green madness,'" Wade replied, and they hugged each other and kissed.

"I should have known you'd show up here sooner or later," Wade laughed when they separated and he pried Shego's hand off of his rear. "When I heard Midas' voice in the hall this morning, it all clicked."

"And, I wouldn't be here…why?" she laughed. "I _**did**_ introduce you to him, after all, even if it was by accident," she replied with her classic sneer, and she laughed again. "He does have 'golden hands,'" she smiled a knowing smile.

"So are Mauri's," Wade smiled, and Mauri blushed. "She is, indeed, a Greek goddess, as well," Wade kissed her cheek. "Thank you, dear lady, for taking knots out I didn't know I had."

"The pleasure was mine, Dr. Load," Mauri responded.

"I take it I'll be seeing you here, again," Shego grinned, and Wade nodded.

"Still 'gone blue,' Shego?" Midas asked, and Shego blushed as Wade laughed. "I told you, when you came to Greece the first time, Shego: he **did** love you."

"Yeah, but who would have thought that it took a plant to tell us?" she smiled as she remembered the UN.

"There are surprises everywhere, dear Shego," Midas smiled.

"Well, at least yours wasn't a giant plastic cactus, like 'some people' we know had," Wade smirked, and Shego grabbed her belly and laughed, hard.

"Wade," she was finally able to take more than one breath, "you almost made me have an accident," she looked up at him and gave him her patented smirk. "Almost," she said, and Wade laughed.

"The usual, tonight?" Midas asked.

"Yeah: I could use some hot coals," she smiled, and Wade shuddered.

"I'll be leaving now," Wade touched Mauri's shoulder as he headed for the door. She followed him out the door as Mongo and Shego headed to the back.

"Thank you, Mauri, for everything," Wade smiled and kissed her tenderly.

"For what, Wade?"

"For listening to me babble about my wife and daughter: you don't get paid enough to listen to a happily married man."

"Oh, but _**I**_ consider it a bonus: it's so nice to finally meet one, for a change," she smiled back at him. "She must be a very lucky woman to have you."

"No, Mauri: I'm the lucky one, I know that now: it took too many bad events happening to bring us together," as he headed out the door.

"She's lucky, indeed," Mauri said as she turned and went back in.

"Like him, huh, Mauri?" Melanie smiled, and Mauri laughed.

"Who wouldn't, Melanie: gorgeous, rich, intelligent, and full of love, all in one package. She's very lucky, isn't she?" Mauri walked to the back room, leaving the question unanswered.

"That she is, Mauri: that she is," Melanie said to the empty room.

"I wonder if he has a brother…." She mused.

-----

Tara opened the front door to the wonderful aroma of dinner being finished: garlic bread and pasta, both with the smell of fresh garlic. She took off her coat and hung it on the hanger in the coat closet as she smiled: Wade must be cooking. 'That wonderful man," she thought.

"Hi, Mom," Tara laughed as she saw Kathrine come out of the kitchen wearing an apron on that read 'Kiss the Cook…seriously.'

"Where's your father?"

"Not home, yet, but I was in the mood for Italian, and the chicken was calling me, so…" Kathrine smiled.

"Blackened Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo," Tara smiled, then frowned. "Who was watching you cook?"

"Jess was here: she just left a few minutes ago. Besides, Mom, the Wadebots are here, and they can watch me, remember?"

"All safety protocols were followed, Ms. Load," Wadebot came floating out of the kitchen. "Young Miss Load has been well-schooled in the requirements of kitchen safety; I detected no violations, major or minor."

"Thank you, Wadebot," Kathrine patted him on the monitor. "Good Wadebot," she laughed.

"Woof," was his reply, and Tara laughed.

"I'm going upstairs to change; save some dinner for me if I forget to come down," she kissed Kathrine on the forehead and turned, heading upstairs to their bedroom. Kathrine and the Wadebot headed back into the kitchen.

15 minutes later, Wade opened the front door and sniffed.

"Tara, are you cooking dinner?" Wade called as he hung up his coat.

"No, Dad, it's me," Kathrine came out of the kitchen, still wearing her apron, smiling, and holding a wooden spoon over a bowl to offer Wade a taste.

Wade tasted the sauce and smiled. "That's an excellent white sauce, Kat: Wadebot's recipe?" he laughed.

"DAD!" Kathrine giggled. "As a matter of fact: no. It's my new recipe: even more fresh-crushed garlic is the starter," she added.

"Excellent, Kat," Wade ruffled her hair. "Has your mother come home?"

"She came home about 10-15 minutes ago; she went upstairs, but I think that she may be asleep. She told me to hold some dinner for her, just in case." Kathrine's lower lip quivered. "And, this was my best sauce, too," she whimpered, and Wade smiled.

"I'll go up and see if she's awake," he smiled. "I'll be back in a few." He headed up the stairs after he kissed Kathrine's forehead.

"He's going to fall asleep," Kathrine said to herself as she turned toward the kitchen.

"Well, what did you expect, after what you did to them today?" Wadebot came out of the kitchen.

She pointed the wooden spoon at the Wadebot: "and, remember: you can't tell them, either." The Wadebot laughed as Kathrine and the Wadebot headed back into the kitchen, the Wadebot dodging the swings from the spoon.

-----

Kathrine went upstairs after 30 minutes of no parents.

The door was closed. She knocked, but no response.

She quietly and carefully opened the door, and what she saw made her smile:

Her mom was tucked under the covers, her clothes folded neatly on her chair next to the bed. Her dad was asleep on top of the covers, his jacket off; but, the rest of his clothes were on, complete with his shoes.

Kathrine stepped over silently and slipped his shoes off, placing them on the floor at the end of the bed. She blew them each a kiss and left the room, closing the door quietly as she left, her happy tears falling like rain now.

"Midas wore them out," she smiled as she headed back down the stairs and had dinner, then put everything away, washed and put away the pans, placed the plates into the 'washer, and blew out the candles on the dining room table.

She pulled down the online cookbook and looked up recipes for grape jelly, decided that this was not an effort for a partial evening of fun, and headed into the living room with a bunch of grapes in her bowl. She turned on the flat-panel and watched a movie until she fell asleep during the news.

-----

Tara woke, slowly. She felt more relaxed and refreshed than she'd felt in years, she thought.

She looked over and saw a smiling husband, still dressed and watching her.

"Hello, handsome."

"Hey there, my 'fav' cheerleader."

"Liar, but thank you, anyway," she raised her upper body and kissed Wade.

"What time is it?"

"It's 6:40."

"Well, that was a short nap," Tara stretched, and the covers fell down.

"A.M., my sweet and perky," Wade grinned and motioned his head at her.

She looked down and grinned. "I'm guessing that Kathrine didn't put me in bed."

"'Once again, Ms. Load, you are correct,'" Wade chuckled as Tara reached and grabbed her robe, slipping it on as she stepped out of bed.

"Did you sleep in your clothes?"

"I guess I did: **_someone_** wasn't awake to undress me and tuck me in," Wade laughed as he rolled out of bed, then looked down. "But, someone snuck in here and removed my shoes, though," he smiled as he pulled off his socks.

"What's on your day, today?"

"I need to check with Scarlette and see: unfortunately, I have a major conference call for, of all things, Christmas Eve morning. One of the parties in the suit wanted it scheduled for that day, hoping that we'd settle rather than meet on that day: they got a shock when we agreed.

"I'll take it from my office here, though: I love being wired," Tara came around the bed and took Wade's hand, pulling him to his feet, "especially when I'm married to the world's expert at wiring," she kissed him briefly, then held him as they enjoyed their closeness.

A quite knocking startled them.

"Anybody awake yet, in there?" a special voice asked.

"Come in, Kat: we're even decent," Wade replied, and Kathrine opened the door carefully and peeked around it carefully, checking to make sure that they were, indeed, 'decent.'

Tara and Wade turned and faced Kathrine.

"There are three options for breakfast: the usual hunter/gatherer, Eggs a'la Elizabeth, or Blackened Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. For **_some_** reason, there's lots of it left after '_**no one**_' showed up for dinner last night," Kathrine smirked. "Just what **did** you two do yesterday?" she asked with a grin.

"I had a very tiring day, daughter," Tara smiled.

"As did I, Kat," Wade added.

"You two must have had a really rough day," Kathrine grinned, "to miss my 'blackened chicken;' you didn't even have dinner last night," she giggled and turned, leaving her parents perplexed.

"Oh, by the way," she stuck her head back in, "we have a date for Saturday night: my treat. 6:30 PM sharp, downstairs, nothing formal: I'm thinking _**Blaze**_**IT**! shirts for everybody," she smiled as she withdrew, and Wade and Tara heard her bounding and singing as she headed down the stairs.

"What is your daughter up to?" Tara asked as she slipped off her robe and headed for the bathroom.

"Can I help?" Wade grinned, and Tara turned and gave him a 'no-no-no' finger wag.

"Sorry, guy, but I need to get showered and dressed, _not_ what you have in mind," Tara stepped in and closed the door, then stuck her head back out. "Not that I don't want it, just that I don't have time this morning," she smiled and closed the door.

Wade smiled and changed clothes before he headed downstairs for breakfast.

-----

Wade walked into the kitchen and opened the 'fridge, then stuck his head back out.

"Kat, why do we have a crate of grapes in the 'fridge?"

"I won a bet with Jess, Dad." Kathrine replied from the table, reading the morning news summary overhead.

"Do I want to know for what?"

"I don't think so."

"All right," and Wade decided to have dinner for breakfast. He grabbed a piece of garlic bread and nibbled as he plated the pasta and chicken, then sat down at the table.

"Have you finished your Christmas shopping, Dad?" She stood up and went to the stove, grabbing a plate and beginning to plate up pasta and chicken for her mother.

"Almost," Wade replied as he bit into a piece of toasted garlic bread.

"Haven't started, huh?"

"For your information, little missy," Wade looked up and grinned, "I've only got one more gift to get, and it's already on hold for me. I just have to wrap it, and I'm done," Wade crunched and smiled his victory.

"Wow, you're not like oldDad: his idea of advance shopping for the day before Christmas," Kathrine handed a plate of hot food to Tara as she entered the kitchen.

"Are you finished, Kathrine?"

"Of course, Daddy," Kathrine balled her fists and put them both on her hips. "I'm **full** of surprises," she smiled as Tara and Wade both laughed.

"Channeling 'Aunt Kim' now, huh?" Wade asked.

"No, silly: she was channeling me from my past, her future. I am, as you are most certainly aware, the _center of_ _all_," Kathrine smiled, and Tara groaned.

"Someone's been spending too much time studying solipsism," Wade laughed.

"Why don't you tell Aunt Kim that?" Tara suggested.

"I believe I will," Kathrine replied, covering the dinner/breakfast pan and turning the heat down to 'warm.'

'I think you're both going to like your presents, my ladies,' Wade smiled as he thought, enjoying his meal.

'I think you're going to like your presents, Wade; that is, if your heart can stand it,' Tara giggled inside.

'I can't wait until they find out what I got them for Christmas,' Kathrine thought as she headed out of the kitchen.

Tara's PosComm buzzed, and she touched her earpiece.

"Good morning, Scarlette," she smiled as she took another bite and swallowed.

Tara's smile was replaced by a frown as she gulped her food.

"In 20 minutes? All day? I'll take it from here, then, and not come in the office until it's over or tomorrow. Besides, I have something for you."

Tara looked up, then laughed.

"Because I'm your boss, that's why: I'm allowed to give you things that are fattening, as long as they're not illegal."

She rubbed her chin and smiled.

"Thanks, Scarlette: I really appreciate you taking the time and being on the call, as well: another reason for the extra 'goodies,'" Tara chuckled.

"All right: call my uni-number; I'll route it to the portable in my office here," and she touched her earpiece once again.

"Call extended to today, as well, Wade, so I'll be here, upstairs, tied to the desk and computer with idiots for two days."

"Don't worry, Mom: I'll bring you snacks and lunch," Kathrine said as she moved the pan off the heat.

"You're a doll, Kat," Tara stood and kissed her forehead, kissed Wade, and headed upstairs.

**Author's afterward:**

So, Tara's working from home all day, and Kathrine's arranging dinner plans?

----

Mon-speak translations:

BFGF – best friend girl friend

BF – boy friend

IYD – in your dreams

PDP – puppy-dog-pout

GF – girl friend

BW/AW – Before Wade / After Wade

DTB – daddy-to-be

----


	4. Chapter 4: Stories

_**If lovin' you is wrong**_: **Christmas with my new Daddy**

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

/+ and +\ indicates that the text between the signs is spoken in language other than English (story text identifies the spoken language).

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

What happens when you turn an 11-year-old loose in 2029 at Christmas when her parents are Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load and Barrister Tara Bluem Load?

This is for two very special young ladies in my life…and you can probably guess who, but I won't tell you until the end of the story.

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

-----

Chapter 4: Stories

-----

Kathrine wasn't sure how she'd managed to keep her parents in the dark this long about tonight's party, but she credited Ivy and Scarlette for helping: they had both kept Wade and Tara busy, all day Friday and most of Saturday, with work.

Uncharacteristically, the university had kept Wade busy over the holiday season, even after finals, with discussions on regarding the gifts from the Spagnopolis family: both the restricted gifts for the new buildings, and the unrestricted gifts for funding the staffing and outfitting of the buildings.

Kathrine had never seen her dad cry, but she saw it when he came in the house Friday afternoon. As he stepped in the door, President Lupe McBride gave Wade the news, over his PosComm, that that one of the buildings, per both Midas and Mauri, was required to be named after Ryan and Rachel Load. He thanked her, cut the circuit, and fell to his knees in the hall, crying, and looking up into the ceiling. Kathrine stood in the kitchen, watching him as he thanked God and his parents, telling Ryan and Rachel how much he missed them, but that he was so very happy with his new family. He laughed as he thanked God for sending him to a lawyer, grinning as he shed his tears, and for sending Tara into his life. Kathrine knew how much Dad loved Mom, but it was amazing to her how eloquent that he was in his description of that love.

But, what ripped Kathrine's heart were his comments about her:

"God: thank you so _very_ much for Kathrine Elizabeth Load, my daughter that I always wanted but never knew that I did. She's been a wonderful addition to my life, and she means so very, very much to me. Her love for me is unconditional, even when I took time from her monopolization of her mother's life. She accepted me from the moment she met me, and I never told her that I loved her from the first time I saw her in the picture in her mother's office, that first day. Mom, Dad, I wish you'd had the chance to get to know your granddaughter: I known you would both love her, her wit, her sarcasm, her joy, her love, her beauty. Thank you, God, for the gift of my daughter, and continue to bless her and allow me to guide her, please and thank you."

Kathrine went out the back door, sat down on the porch, ignoring the cold, and broke down in tears. "I never knew, God," she said, looking up into the snow-filled sky. "Thank you, God, for giving Mom the good sense to marry Wade," she grinned though her tears. "I love him so very much."

She sat on the unheated concrete porch steps as the snow fell, smiling as she allowed her tears to mix with the snow as she imagined that the flakes were Grandma Rachel's and Granddad Ryan's tears from Heaven.

-----

"Kathrine, what are you doing?" Wade and Tara had come into the kitchen coming downstairs after Wade had gone upstairs to change into his _**Blaze**_**IT!** shirt. Wade was busy playing with Tara, and Tara was busy trying to fend him off, but with little effort, judging from the grins on both their faces and the giggling that had come down the stairs ahead of them and still hung in the air.

"What any sane person does when she has 150 pounds of grapes, fruit only: making lots of grape jam and jelly, and I'm almost finished, too," Kathrine said as she removed her apron and revealed her own _**Blaze**_**IT!** shirt, and Wade grinned.

"Someone's been playing in the _**HFac**_, lately," he quipped, and Kathrine blushed.

"DAD!"

"Do you want me to help you go shopping for those 'extras' you need, now?" Wade smiled even bigger. "We could go bra shopping tomorrow afternoon: interested?"

"_**DAD! **_

"_**MOM, **_make him_** STOP!"**_

"Father's prerogative, daughter, to provide embarrassment whenever possible: it's our way of showing our love, and our only chances to get our shots in before you become teenagers and we lose total control," was Wade's reply.

Tara laughed: "too late, my husband. She just lets us think we're in control when, in fact, she really is running the house."

"I'm glad you've finally recognize the truth, Mom," Kathrine grinned. "Now, let's go: dinner awaits us."

"Where are we going?" Tara asked as Wade helped her into her coat before slipping his own coat on.

"It's a surprise," Kathrine replied as she opened the door, motion-arguing with her dad but finally losing and going out the door, followed by Wade: he locked the door, and they headed to the uni-tube launch point, stepping into the room that lit when it detected human body heat upon the door opening. They 'tubed, Kathrine leading the way, and all came out in front of a building.

"_**BonNed's!**_" Tara grinned as she hugged Wade. "Kathrine, how did you know?"

"D'oi, Mom! You've only told me about it, oh, about 3 gazillion times," Kathrine replied as they approached the door.

"They're closed on a Saturday night?" Tara looked at the sign in the door.

"Not for us," Kathrine replied with a grin as she rhythm-knocked the Team Possible Kimmunicator ring.

Bonnie opened the door a crack.

"'What'sa da password?'" Bonnie did a poor 'Marx' impression, but Kathrine giggled and responded.

"'Swordfish,'" Kathrine grinned, and Tara and Wade groaned as the door opened to Bonnie Rorem, wearing a **_Blaze_IT!** shirt and khaki slacks and, surprisingly, with khaki 2-inch heels.

Tara laughed. "GF, where did you get those shoes?"

"Tell you later; come on in, your guests are waiting," Bonnie herded them through the lobby and the empty bar to the decorated and well-lit main dining room, and Tara and Wade were shocked:

The room was packed with people, all standing, applauding, and laughing.

What made the pair break up with their own laughs was the massive sign hanging in the middle of the room:

_**Merry Christmas, and Happy QuarterVersary, Mom and Dad!**_

The mob moved to surround the happy threesome, and Tara and Wade laughed and cried with friends they hadn't seen in a long time: some, in years, it seemed

Kathrine was grabbed by two redheads and a blond and hugged mercilessly by all three at the same time.

"Kat, you're an angel," Kim Possible-Stoppable said as she kissed Kathrine's right cheek.

"You got both of them, good," Andrea Jocelyn Possible-Lopez grinned as she kissed Kathrine's left cheek.

"How did you – never mind, I don't think I wanna know," Ron Stoppable smiled as he kissed Kathrine's forehead.

"Thank you, Aunt Kim, Aunt Joss, Uncle Ron. And, thank you, Uncle Ron, for the grape jam and jelly recipes, and for helping coordinate the menu with Uncle Ned."

"My pleasure, my niece," Ron swooped a bow, and Kathrine giggled. "You **know** I wasn't going to give you a wine recipe: besides the fact that you didn't have the time to make a good vino, I don't **_even_** want to imagine the headlines: Kathrine Elizabeth Load, arrested for underage wine-making," Ron laughed as Kathrine blushed and grinned evilly at the same time, then stretched up and kissed Ron on the cheek.

"Told you, Cousin Kim: your husband's a chick magnet," Joss laughed. "Even at 11, Kathrine knows that. Why did it take you so long to figger it out?"

"Oh, I don't know," Kim replied with a laugh. "Maybe, because I was too busy fighting Drakken and Shego to see the obvious, right in front of my face."

"Don't blame us," Drew and Shirley Lipsky walked over, laughing. "At least, we facilitated the events; **we** brought the cactus," Drew laughed as he hugged Shirley with his left arm, his right occupied by another, smaller hand.

"Kathrine, this is our daughter, Ann Hannah Lipsky," Drew introduced the young girl to Kathrine, and Kathrine extended her hand and shook the hand of the pale young girl.

"Nice to meet you, Ann: that's a pretty name," and Ann smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Kathrine," Ann replied shyly, her voice strong and quiet at the same time.

"Kat, to my friends," Kathrine smiled, and Ann smiled back at her.

"Hello," a male voice came from behind her, and Kathrine turned around and grinned broadly.

"I'm Jason Michael Lopez," he smiled as he saw Kathrine's face, then looked down and smiled even more, "but, my friends all call me Mikey."

/+"Mom, you said that she was pretty,"+\ Jason smiled, speaking in Spanish as he extended his hand, "/+but you didn't tell me that she was beautiful,"+\ and Kathrine blushed as she offered her hand shyly. Jason took it and nodded his head over it.

/+"Thank you, kind sir,"+\ Kathrine replied in Spanish, and Jason's head snapped up with a big grin and a bit of a blush on his face.

"Kathrine!" a new, older voice sounded, and Kathrine was hugged by a woman her mom's age wearing an outfit that was familiar: the _**Blaze**_**IT!** shirt and khakis, but she also wore a navy blue beret on her head filled with short, styled blond hair.

"Aunt Justine!" Kathrine hugged Dr. Justine Flanner-LeBlanc and looked around her to see Justine's husband, Jeremy, standing and smiling behind her.

/+"How are you, Aunt Justine?"+\ Kathrine asked her in French, and Justine released her and smiled.

/+"Very good, Kathrine: you've kept your French lessons going, I see,"+\ Justine replied with a smile.

/+"Of course, Aunt Justine: how else would I be able to read your monographs on your medical research and your manuscripts for your latest novel?\" Kathrine replied with a grin, and she hugged her once again. /+"Your next fiction book, btw, will be a smash hit here in the States when you get ready to publish it."+\

Kathrine saw Aunt Monique and Uncle Josh talking to Wade and Tara, and she heard Aunt Stephanie's squeal as she saw Wade. Kathrine saw Uncle Chip and Aunt Sarah smiling at her, and they toasted her with their water glasses.

-----

'Uncle Ron and Uncle Ned certainly stuffed everybody,' Kathrine smiled, still wincing as she thought of the appetizer that Uncle Ned had served with a grin. She was certainly glad that he hadn't told anyone 'exactly' what it was until after the meal: RMOs was probably **_not_** on everyone's got-to-have dish, judging from the responses to Uncle Ned. Served with the Oysters Rorem, the RMOs made for an excellent contrast of hot and cold. The Exploding Onions disappeared in a flash on every table as fast as they were served, as well.

The surf-and-turf was a Wild-West-meets-West-Coast combo: a 4-oz dry-roasted sirloin fillet, a 4-oz grilled red snapper fillet, and a mini-sized 4-oz buffalo chicken-fried steak with Uncle Ned's signature jalapeño-infused cream gravy.

Uncle Ron's vegetables were a hit, as well: his grilled baby vegetable A-B-Cs (asparagus, beets, and cauliflower) had raved reviews, even from the kids.

In the midst of it all, Kathrine caught Jason sneaking glances at her, and he blushed as she winked at him. 'He's just as cute in person as he is in his on-line picture,' she thought, and she blushed, herself.

She was certain that she's struck the mother lode, however, when Uncle Ron rolled out his dessert double-double-whammy:

"'Tade,' a'la mode," he lifted the cover in front of Wade and Tara, revealing a white-and-dark chocolate pie with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, the opposite flavors on top of each other.

"Been there," Wade commented dryly, and there were a few chuckles and laughs from the guests.

"Done that, and married him, too," Tara added with a grin as she kissed her husband to laughs and cheers from their friends and guests.

Pies were rolled out, and laughs and cheers for the chef were handed out until the eating began; the cheers were replaced by moans of approval.

'If sex isn't this good, I'm staying a virgin for the rest of my life,' Kathrine groaned in her head after she finished her second slice and pushed the plate back out of self-defense, leaning back in her chair and looking around: she wasn't alone.

She managed to stand and click her empty wine glass with her knife to get everyone's attention, and the room quieted as all faces were on her.

"First, is there anyone who hated the pie?" she asked, and the room was filled with laughter.

"I didn't think so, based on the moans I kept hearing as everything but the plates were being devoured.

"Aunt Kim and Aunt Monique gave me this idea: thank you, both of you," and Kathrine blew them each a kiss.

"What _**do**_ you get the man and woman, who have everything, for Christmas, including the perfect daughter?" Kathrine grinned, and the laughter returned along with some groans.

"Seriously," she added, and Uncle Ed led the laughs, this time.

"I started this year, once again, with a mother who loved me," and Kathrine turned and smiled at her mother who was, by now, trying to hold back her emotions. "OldDad was long out of our lives, since he and Mom got 'cross-ways' with each other," and several people who knew Dick laughed at Kathrine's remark. "I loved my mother dearly, and I knew she loved me, but knew she wasn't happy with how things worked out for her. She wasn't like me: she hadn't grown up in a world where 'trading parents' was a pre-teen norm.

"Then, one morning," Kathrine grinned and looked at Wade, "Mom told me about a date she'd had by asking me 'Kathrine, what would you say, if I brought home a date who didn't look like us?'" The room was quiet.

"I asked her if she was dating a redhead," and the laughs were mixed by boos from Kim and Joss, "and she told me that she was dating Wade Load," she glanced at her parents, and they were grinning and holding each other.

"Now, like any kid, I loved the idea of having the 'perfect tutor,'" Kathrine laughed, and the kids in the room laughed with her, "but, I dropped that idea when I met him for the first time.

"I knew that oldDad loved me," Kathrine fought to hold back her tears, "but I had never seen this look from him before. It took Wade less than five minutes, not counting the roses," she laughed as she shot him a quick glance and a wink, and Wade chuckled, "before he captured my heart, and I knew that, if Mom was a total idiot and dumped him for some reason, I'd have to hurt her and move in with him, myself," she grinned, still successfully holding back her tears while her parents fought to win their tear battle themselves, and others chuckled in the background.

"I thought that he liked me, but the adoption idea of his was a surprise, even to me, and I jumped at the idea. How Aunt Monique got it through that fast," she looked out at Monique and smiled, then winked, and Monique air-kissed her, "I'll never know, but my parents' wedding became a celebration for all three of us when Dad told me that it was final, and he'd announce it after their wedding ceremony.

"I knew that we were a family, then, and I knew that both Dad and Mom loved me. But Dad," she said with a now-more serious tone to her voice, "you didn't know that I heard you the other day when you got the news about the new MIST building for Grandma Rachel and Grandpa Ryan," and Wade looked confused.

"He thanked God," and at that point, Kathrine lost her poise and had to stop and get a tissue out, wiping her tears and blowing her nose with a delicate, yet forceful, honk. "Excuse me," she said, then continued.

"Dad thanked God for me, and he told God that he had loved me from the first time he saw my picture in Mom's office," and, by now, tears had started in most of the room.

Kathrine paused for a moment to gather her composure. "That made tonight even more special for me, because I had planned this, with Aunt Kim and Uncle Ron's help, and you, too, Aunt BonBon," she giggled as Bonnie laughed, "and Uncle Ned," as she continued, "because I wanted my parents, Tara and Wade Load, to feel the same love from all of you, tonight, as a fraction of the love that I feel from them every day since long before they got married, and I wanted to tell them what else I'd done and have been doing, besides arranging for this party," she grinned as Wade and Tara stared at her.

"I arranged for my newest family members, Uncle Mongo and Aunt Mauri," and Mongo and Mauri Spagnopolis both grinned from their table in the rear of the room, "to get my parents a 'little down time:' With Uncle Mongo's help, and that of Aunt Ivy and Scarlette, we 'sorta' juggled their schedules and got them both to Mongo's Spa on the same day for a all-day spa session," she smiled as she looked at her shocked parents.

"I thought you-" came from both Wade's and Tara's lips as they looked at each other, then looked up at their daughter, who by now was grinning with a 'Gotcha!' look on her face.

"Hey: 'I'm **full** of surprises,'" Kathrine repeated her Aunt Kim's line, and Kim and Ron both laughed loud.

"I had that and this dinner planned and one more thing," Kathrine continued, "and, then, one more thing happened:

"My friend, Jessica, bet me that I couldn't pull all of it off, and she lost, and she delivered on her end of the bet." Ron and Kim led the start of laughs.

"Unfortunately, my mouth was bigger than my brain, and I bet her 150 pounds of grapes that I could," more laughs filled the room. "She's been delivering grapes to our house for the past few days," the guests were, by this time, laughing uproariously. "Hey, maybe I didn't think things through," Kathrine whined, "but I can improvise," she continued, "which is why, before you leave tonight or leave town tomorrow, you'll get special, autographed jars of KEL's Homemade Grape Jelly and Jam.

"Can somebody else tell me what else I could have done with that many grapes," she whimpered, "besides stain my feet?" she giggled, and the applause cut her off.

"Anyway," she concluded as the applause died down, "I wanted to get all of you here, tonight, so you could tell my parents what they have meant to you, so they could get a taste of the love I get from them every day, as my Christmas and 'QuarterVersary' present to them; sorry, Uncle Ron, I couldn't find a good belt," and Ron and Kim both blushed and laughed as the applause started again.

"So, based on the responses I got," she pulled up her list on her PosComm from her purse, "Aunt Kim, Uncle Ron: you're up, first," and Kim and Ron came to the front of the room and hugged Kathrine before they began to speak.

Kathrine sat back down, and she was grabbed by Wade, first, and then her mom.

"Thank you, Kathrine: I didn't know you heard me yesterday," Wade whispered to her as he hugged her.

"'No big,' Dad," she grinned as she wet his shirt with her tears, her shoulder already wet with his.

"I love you, Kat," Wade released her and kissed her cheek.

"I love you, too, Dad," Kathrine replied; "now, hush, and listen to your friends!" she ordered, and Wade snapped a salute and grinned at her, kissing her cheek again.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Tara asked as she hugged Kathrine and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, I don't know: maybe carried me for nine months, for starters?" Kathrine replied, and she hugged her mother. "Now, you hush, too! I want to hear about you and Aunt Kim and Gil and Uncle Ron," Kathrine laughed as her mother blushed and sat down.

Kim and Ron began to speak. "I needed an upgrade to my babysitting website," Kim began, and she went on to tell stories about Wade's adventures.

"The one thing I never figured out until much, much later was how Wade got that first battlesuit to fit so well," Kim grinned as she concluded as a scattering of laughs bounced around the room. Wade's smile was broad, and Tara laughed as she slapped at him.

"I only have one thing to say about that," and she turned and looked at Wade with a scowl the quality of Shego, then converted it to a smirk as she pointed at him and said:

"**BAD WADE!**" The entire room exploded in laughter, and Wade stood and bowed, and then he got his hug from Kim, resisting the urge to slide his hand down to his favorite bubbles only when Kim whispered to him "remember, Ron has the Lotus Blade at all times, guy."

"Some of you know I wasn't very good at Algebra," Ron started, his comment followed by lots of laughter as he related the tales of the multiple tutoring sessions he had with Wade and Wade's head-banging sessions.

"And, believe it or not, I was not always a 'babe magnet,'" Ron continued, and the guests all roared with laughter.

"Well, it wasn't for the lack of trying. I tried the 'never be normal' approach, but that didn't work too well; in one case, it got a book shoved in my face," Ron grinned and stared at Sarah Best-Design, and she laughed and blew him a kiss.

"I had noticed every girl at MHS, but none of then had noticed me…or, so I thought," Ron smiled.

"When I joined the cheer squad as "The" Mad Dog, I got to live most guy's dream of being around eight 'hotties' on a regular basis. That trip to Cheer Camp (at least, we _**thought**_ we were going to Cheer Camp), though, was an adventurous 'sitch,' to say the least.

"Gil coming after me, I could handle; but, when he came after my friends, it was war. I finally managed to take him down, with Rufus' help, and we got him locked up.

"Why am I telling you this? Because, this was when I got my first kiss from Tara," and Ron looked over to the now-grinning Tara Load. "Hey, it was on the cheek, but I didn't wash my face for a week after that," Ron smiled as Tara blushed and Wade laughed, followed by applause from the attending cheerleaders and their guests.

"Yeah, I know," Kim stated matter-of-factly, and Ron blushed as the guests laughed and Kim leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Later on…much later, and before the cactus," Ron continued, and laughs came with the cactus comment, "someone told me that Tara had had a bit of a crush on me.

"Why no ever told me until after she was over it, I don't understand," Ron moaned, and Kim slapped at him as she laughed.

"Anyhow, Tara," Ron walked over to her and held his hand out, and Tara looked up and took it, rising to her feet, "thank you for that kiss. You made a high school misfit feel like a million Bueno Nacho bucks," he kissed Tara on the cheek, then smiled and kissed the shocked, then smiling Tara. The guests stood and applauded, and Wade looked over at Kim with a gleam in his eye.

"Oh, all right," Kim grinned, "but this is the **last** time," and stepped over to kiss Wade, the applause growing to include whistles and catcalls.

Kim and Ron separated at the same time, and Wade and Tara both had the same dreamy look on their faces. Kathrine's laughter was the only thing that snapped them out of their trance, and they both sat down, grinning and blushing.

-----

'This was perfect,' Kathrine thought as she watched all of the people telling their stories about her parents and them, but the one she especially liked Uncle Ron's story about him and Mom and Aunt Kim's story about her and Dad.

Kathrine saved the best for last. After almost everyone had finished, Kathrine stood up.

"Now, for the 'p**ièce ****de ****résistance**,' my chance to have another redhead 'take a shot' at both me and Dad:" Kathrine grinned as the final speaker stood, "the Executive Director and co-founder of _**Blaze**_**IT!** Search and Rescue, and another of my favorite women role models, Dr. Jocelyn Possible-Lopez," and the room filled with applause as the smiling auburn-haired woman came to the front and hugged Kathrine, smiling at Tara and winking at Wade before she began to speak.

"I remember first hearing about Wade from Uncle James: Cousin Kim had this 'super-genius,'" Joss used air quotes, and Kathrine and others giggled, "working with her. "Well, after Kim and Ron and Uncle James and Rufus and the Tweebs all came up, we had a run-in with Dr. D," she looked at Drew, who tried to climb under his table, much to the enjoyment of his wife and daughter. "That's when I decided not to emulate Cousin Kim anymore, but I developed a severe 21-day crush on Ron," she grinned as Ron blushed. "And yes, Ron, 'emulate' _**is**_ a school word," she smiled as Ron and Kim both laughed.

"Well, that got me a'thinkin' and I started to realize that I wanted to talk to the 'brains' behind the team about my idea, and Ron, dear sweet man that he was, sent me to Wade. I really think he was just glad to get rid of me, personally," Joss laughed. "Well, Wade came up that summer to the ranch, and I started to fall in love with him that summer. I even told Daddy that I wanted to marry him when I got out of college.

"Wade helped me break through my demons and find out what happened to my Momma, what had happened to me, and I will always love him for that. I just got scared of all those brains when I started back to school, and I couldn't shake the fear that something would go wrong, that I wasn't good enough for him, and that he would leave me.

"I kept coming to Middleton, and I would stay at his place with him and his parents, Ryan and Rachel: in the guest room, please and thank you to you gutter-minded folks," she grinned as laughs floated over the group, "but something didn't feel right, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Then, we had the attempted school takeover by drug dealers; Stephen and I were the last to be taken into the barn. I used my PosComm to get a signal contact out to Wade. I looked at Stephen, and he looked at me and smiled, and I went into action when Ron signaled me. Stephen moved like lightening in concert with me, and we took out the ones in the barn. When we finished, he kissed my cheek, and I felt the same electricity I felt when Wade kissed me. I liked it, but I was scared and confused and happy all at the same time, because Stephen was dating my BFF, Jennifer Battle.

"I was confused for several months, and I tried to fight it and figure it out, especially since Stephen was still dating Jen, but I finally had to admit to myself," Joss was smiling and shedding tears at the same time, "that I wasn't worthy of Wade if I still had doubts about him, after all this time. I still wasn't sure what I would do if he ever told me I wasn't smart enough, so I had to let him go.

"Wade took it much better than I thought he would, and way much better than I did; he told me that he had noticed that my 'Joss-shine,' as he called it," and Joss blushed a bit as she wiped a tear, "hadn't been at the same level of lovin' for several months, and he had figured out that something was wrong. He had decided that I'd tell him when I was ready, and that he could accept whatever decision that I made, if I would allow him to still be my friend and help me reach my dream of 'blazing your own trail, Sweet Tea,' he told me." Joss looked at Wade, and both their faces were wet. Kathrine realized that she was crying, too. When she was finally able to focus and look up, she realized that everyone that she could see was crying, as well, and she wondered 'what might have been.' "He kissed me and told me goodbye, but that it really wasn't goodbye, but 'see you later, as a friend,' and that I was always welcome here, no matter what."

By now, Joss' face was wetter as her tears had begun to flow even stronger. "I holed up at the ranch for a week that summer, until Stephen came by and pulled me out of my loft, asking me what was wrong. I dumped the whole 'load' on him," and Wade winced as Tara, Kim, and Ron all laughed, "but he listened to my entire story, including the comment I made about thinking I had feelings for him.

"He leaned over and told me that he had broken up with Jennifer because he was afraid he had feelings for me, too, and then he kissed me," and Joss' face broke into a huge, soggy grin.

"Boy **_howdy_**, could that buckaroo kiss!" she yelled, and Stephen blushed as the guests all applauded. Joss took that time to retrieve a tissue and dab at her face, drying it somewhat.

"Well, you know the rest: Stephen and I got married after we graduated from undergraduate. I got my MD and PhD, and he got his JD, and we have three 'little' Lopez's at home, now, but none of this would have ever happened if it hadn't been for 'mah hero,'" Joss walked over to Wade and guided him to his feet.

"My friends: Wade was nothing but professional, a true friend as a partner I once loved and still love, even to this day. He continues to work with me on _**Blaze**_**IT!** Search and Rescue, and he continued to generate the tech, work on the Bunker, and make my Dad proud of him and have Dad continue to ask me if I'd made the right decision," she laughed along with many of the guests.

"Dr. Load, Tara is the luckiest woman on the planet: she has you," and Joss kissed him, causing a roar of applause to spontaneously combust from the crowd as they all jumped to their feet, including Kathrine.

'Well, Joss, she may be the luckiest woman on the planet,' Kathrine thought as the applause continued, 'but I'm the luckiest girl on the planet: just look at who I ended up with for a Daddy!'

"And, now, I see a new possible Possible-Load connection," Joss concluded, and Kathrine and Jason both attempted to burrow under their tables as the guests laughed once again. "Wade, we may have that Possible-Load wedding yet, just not with the players you and I planned back then," Joss laughed as she kissed Wade's cheek, pulled Kathrine from under the table and kissed her, whispering to her when they hugged "Thank you, li'l darlin', for lettin' me do this."

"Twern't nuthin', ma'am," Kathrine responded in Montanan, and Joss laughed in her ear and went back to hug Wade, once again.

When Wade and Joss separated, Tara stood and hugged Joss. Wade motioned for Kim and Ron, Ned and Bonnie, Drew and Shirley, and Chip and Sarah to come back up to the front.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Tara began, motioning to the group around and beside her, "this is what friends are for: caring, more than anything else, but helping you through the tough times," she smiled. "I didn't date that much in high school, mainly because I was so shy and scared."

"That, and you were so DDG, every guy was either worshiping you or scared of you," Wade interjected, and Tara blushed at the laughs.

"I spent my time studying and playing Internet Chess with several people; one of the people, I found out later, was a guy I was going to school with, but I was too scared to approach him and let him know who I was, so I hid behind the 'net. I beat Kevin on a regular basis, but he never learned my name. I finally broke out of my shell when I went to college, dating a few people before I found who I thought was the 'man of my dreams.'"

"Dick was 'all that' in college and in law school, and we graduated 1-2 from The University of Texas Law School, then he came with me back to Middleton for my dream starter job as a lawyer for the Middleton Space Center."

Tara grinned. "I was being the good wife, had the ideal family: a loving husband and a beautiful little girl," Tara looked at Kathrine and smiled, "and, I had a new job as County District Attorney, but I had no idea that my other best friend and our daughter's nanny, Holly Jane Beaudreaux, was 'having fun' with my husband, and had been 'having fun' with Dick for two years.

"Like I told several people, Dick and I got 'cross-ways,'" Tara's smile was forced, "and I filed for divorce. He voluntarily gave up his parental rights so the two of them, Dick and Jane," laughs came from tables "could start fresh on the East Coast, and he took care of Kathrine and me before he left, so we were not wanting for anything," Tara smiled, but there was a tear in her eye. "We were together, but we were alone for five years.

"Five years, until this wonderful man," Tara wrapped her arm around Wade's waist and pulled him to her, hugging him tight, "walked into my law office."

"After I told Sweet Tea goodbye," Wade began, "I was in a funk, because it was the worst time of my life. I thought I would date, but I could never find another woman like her. Sarah and Kim were already taken," Wade grinned as Chip and Ron both blew him raspberries to the delight of the guests, "and, when I started to call some of my old friends, I found out that I didn't know any of them, anymore: they were moving in entirely different circles than I. I spent time with faculty members as I walked up the ladder from instructor to assistant professor and then, after I was awarded tenure, full professor and assistant department chairman.

"Then, Mom came down with an aggressive form of tongue cancer, of all things, and it was right after Dad had been diagnosed, on top of his MS, with ALS, and I spent most of my time with them the final months of their lives. I wish that the people of this state had passed that patient option bill, because Mom and Dad had decided that, regardless of the law, they didn't want to live without the other one. Mom and Dad shared the same bed at home when they died, holding each other and smiling," Wade wiped his tears, and Tara kissed his cheek.

"Sweet Tea, Mom was sure you'd change your mind, and I know that she and Dad were glad that you came to the funeral with Stephen and Slim. She loved all of you; even you, Stephen," and Wade laughed.

"I moved forward after settling the estate, and I kept teaching, convinced that I was happy."

"I was happy with my life until I came back home after visiting a certain young blond attorney I was referred to by a friend to help me with a challenge to Mom and Dad's estate," Wade grinned. "That was an experience, but dinner was more than my poor heart could take. I walked into my house after dinner, and I realized two things:

"One, that I was lonely; and

"Two, that I was in love for only the second time in my life.

"Then, she went out of town, and I volunteered to help her out by staying over with her hyper-active daughter," and Kathrine blew him a huge raspberry, much to the joy of the guests. "Like she said earlier, I already loved her from the first time I saw her picture, but she sealed it that night when she climbed up in my lap like a huge kitten, looked up at me, and asked me, in only a voice that a daughter can use, 'are you going to be my new daddy, Wade?'"

Wade motioned for Kathrine to come up and join Tara him. He placed his other arm around her waist as he wrapped his around Tara. "I was doomed, ladies and gentlemen, but **what** a way to go!" the room exploded with applause.

"Dr. Load," a voice came over the crowd as a smiling woman came walking up to the front of the room, dressed in a long blue evening gown, her heels clicking in the silence of the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Wade announced, "my boss, the President of Middleton Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Lupe McBride," and the room's applause stopped her for only a second as she waved to everyone.

"Dr. Load, I have something for you, and Ivy told me where to find you tonight, so I thought I'd 'drop in,'" she smiled and opened her purse.

"Dr. Load, the Governing Board of Regents of MIST just concluded an emergency meeting after our Christmas party, and they authorized me to share some news with you.

"First, they have agreed to Mr. Spagnopolis' request, and the new central center complex for art, music and literature will be named the Ryan and Rachel Load Center for Performing Arts and Literature," and the restaurant echoed with applause as all stood as one, applauding, as Wade fought to hold his tears in as Tara and Kathrine held him.

When the sound dropped, Dr. McBride continued. "In a totally unrelated event, Dr. Nordstrom O'Hara Brainstrom's resignation from his positions with the university was accepted with a great deal of reluctance. Unfortunately for us, some other place wants him, immediately; I think their name is something like Oxnard, Oxtail, Oxford…that's it: Oxford," she grinned to the laughs, "so we have a small vacancy or two to fill. Based on unanimous and **multiple** departmental recommendations," she smiled, "the Regents have named the new Area Chairman for Math/Sciences and the Chair of the Computational Development Department: that is," she smiled and extended her hand containing the envelope, "if you accept, Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load," she grinned, and Wade's jaw dropped as the applause exploded.

-----

Kathrine heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in," Kathrine replied, and the door opened, and her parents couldn't help but laugh at the sight:

Kathrine had labels and sealed jars spread all over her bed, several cloths on top of her bed-covers, and she wore her 'Kiss the cook…seriously' apron as she worked on signing the final labels for application to the remaining jars. All of the labeled jars had bright ribbons on them: the jams had aqua, and the jellies had bright red.

"Ribbon logic?" Tara asked, and Kathrine nodded.

"Red for jelly, aqua for jam: vowel coordination," and Tara nodded while Wade grinned.

'Just like her old man,' Wade thought, and then he thought: 'her old man: she really **is** in me.'

"I'll be finished and cleaned up in five minutes, then I'm crashing: party planning and execution takes too much work," Kathrine added.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about, Kathrine," Tara pulled up Kathrine's desk chair, and Wade grabbed her stool.

"Kathrine, how did you do all of this?" Tara asked.

"I got the right jobs in the right hands, and it all got done," was her reply as she finished another jar. "10 more," she mumbled to herself as she reached for the next autographed label.

"You outsourced **all **the work?" Wade looked incredulous.

"Of course I did, Dad. I can't do it all myself: you can't do everything, you and Aunt Kim and Uncle Ron taught me that," Kathrine looked up and saw the smiles and tears from both her parents.

"What?" Kathrine asked, grinning.

"Kat: why?" Wade asked, and Kathrine put the jar down and jumped off the bed, walking over to Wade and sat on his knee.

"That's why," she replied as she kissed his cheek.

"Now, I'm corn-fused," Wade replied.

"DADDY!" she looked exasperated for a moment, then smiled.

"Because I can do this, this Christmas," she replied, and Wade still looked perplexed.

"Daddy, for a super-genius, sometimes you're **lead** in the **head**: I wanted a father's knee to sit on for Christmas. No offense, Mom, but yours are too bony for me: I like Daddy's knees, and I like Daddy's smell," Kathrine grinned.

"Hey!" Wade was now grinning. "Are you saying I need to lose more weight?"

"No, Daddy: Mom's legs have been cheering-shaped, and she's got a 12 percent body fat content. You're closer to 16-18 percent, and I don't want you to lose any of it," she hugged Wade and looked up at him.

"Did I tell you how proud I am to have you as my Dad, Daddy?"

"You may have mentioned it a time or two," Wade replied with a grin.

"Well, I am," Kathrine grinned and kissed the underside of his chin. "And, then, tonight: between Aunts Kim, Joss, Sarah, Shirley, BonBon, and then Dr. McBride's announcement, I didn't think we'd get your head in the house," Kathrine laughed with Tara.

"You're not innocent, yourself, Momma: if I heard one more guy tell me how DDG you were and are, I was going to get a complex. At least, Mikey didn't say it, or at least he didn't say it where I heard it."

"Oh, he did," Tara laughed, and Kathrine moaned. "But, he did do this," and Tara reached behind her and pulled out a single long-stemmed yellow rose and a note. "He left these a few minutes ago, before he headed back to Montana with his folks."

"**_Mikey_** was here?" Kathrine's eyes shone, and Wade laughed.

"Kathrine's got a boy-friend, Kathrine's got a boy-friend," he started, and Tara and Kathrine both swatted him.

"Hey! I'm just channeling your Uncles Jim and Tim. Believe me: ask your Aunt Kim."

"OK: I love you; now: everybody out," Kathrine grinned.

"We don't get to help you read the note?" Tara whined, and Kathrine laughed as her mother tried to PDP.

"Not unless you want me to send your jelly to Uncle Ed…seriously," Kathrine laughed as they were already leaving her room.

Wade turned and held his arms open, and Kathrine ran into them, getting her favorite gift of all: a Wade/Daddy hug.

"I love you, Kitty-Kat," Wade murmured into her hair.

"I love you, Daddy," Kathrine replied, and she pulled back and wiped her tears as Wade kissed the top of her head and left, leaving mother and daughter alone.

"Thank you, Kathrine, for everything, and I'm not even going to ask you how you got the money to pay Mongo for our spa time," Tara smiled as she wrapped her daughter in her arms.

"Money I earned from tutoring, and errands for Aunt BonBon and other folks; that, and my money from birthdays and such."

"Kathrine! You're supposed to spend that on something for yourself, not on other people."

"Mom, what better way to enjoy it than to watch you two sprawled on the bed, exhausted after being forced to endure a day of pampering, for a change?" Kathrine laughed, and Tara kissed the top if her head.

"Good night, angel," Tara said as she closed the door.

"Good night, both my angels," Kathrine called to the closed door.

Kathrine tore open the envelope and read the note:

'Kathrine:

'I saw this as we left the restaurant, and it reminded me of you: pretty, and strong, so I bought it for you. I hope you like it.

'Mikey'

Kathrine finished the jars, cleared her bed, changed into her "Captain Constellation III" pajamas, and plopped onto her bed, holding her rose and note, all in five minutes.

"He thinks I'm pretty," she said to the rose. The rose obviously agreed with him, and she kissed the rose petals.

She fell asleep on her back, holding the note and rose, and the motion sensors dimmed the lights after five minutes of inactivity.

**Author's afterward:**

Kathrine's had a busy day, and it's not even Christmas, yet!

What do the father and mother give to the perfect daughter for Christmas, and what else does Kathrine have planned?

----

Mon-speak translations:

HFac – Hormone Factory

BonNed's – Restaurant owned by Ned and Bonnie (Rockwaller) Rorem

QuarterVersary – the three-month anniversary after an event.

RMO – Rocky Mountain Oysters

MIST – Middleton Institute of Science and Technology

KEL – Kathrine Elizabeth Load: the name she put on the labels

PDP – puppy-dog-pout

DDG – drop-dead gorgeous

BFF – best female friend

----


	5. Chapter 5: Snow

_**If lovin' you is wrong**_: **Christmas with my new Daddy**

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: Kim Possible and all the characters of the show are owned by the Disney Company. The original lyrics to the songs referenced in this story and the music are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels. All other characters can be blamed on the author (he, however, is not responsible for all of their actions at all times, being barely responsible for himself most of the time).

This is a strictly not-for-profit, just-for-fun work.

Enjoy! Please read and review.

**A/N Forward: **

What happens when you turn an 11-year-old loose in 2029 at Christmas when her parents are Dr. Wade Agamemnon Load and Barrister Tara Bluem Load?

This is for two very special young ladies in my life…and you can probably guess who, but I won't tell you until the end of the story.

Thanks in advance for reading, and please review.

-----

Chapter 5: Snow

-----

Ned sat, reading and listening to the snow and sleet fall, this Christmas Eve night. He smiled as the thought about all of the day's fun: he'd closed his restaurant at 5:00 PM and sent his employees home with a cash bonus for working that day, a treat that was unexpected from his new staff while not surprising to his veterans: what was the surprise was the amount, and they all hugged him and Bonnie before they left. His team had already delivered the Christmas dessert surprise to the Load's house, and he and Bonnie were looking forward to a wonderful Christmas dinner that neither had to cook.

Ned's smile grew as he thought of party he had hosted in the restaurant the prior Saturday night. 'That Kathrine is certainly a pistol,' he grinned. 'I certainly hope Wade knows how lucky he is to have found Tara and her, after his luck with Joss Possible; His mood has definitely improved,' Ned grinned. 'He's gone from underneath the bottom of the barrel to the floating above the top of the mountain.'

"Ned?" Bonnie's voice called through the bedroom door.

"Yes, dear?"

"Should we tell them tomorrow?" she asked through the door.

"Sure; how about after dinner, with dessert?"

"OK."

Bonnie was quiet for awhile, then called:

"Ned?"

"Yes, Bonnie?

"Are you doing anything major right now?" she asked.

"No, not now: what do you need, Bonnie?" He asked. Bonnie opened the bedroom door and stepped into living room, and Ned's jaw dropped, figuratively, to the floor.

'A truly totally-formal goddess,' was one of the thoughts that ran through Ned's mind.

She looked like a New York City Rockette, but she broke the image when she did a perfectly-executed pirouette, her years of ballet training still showing.

Bonnie had stepped out, dressed for a formal night on the town; that is, if, for some strange reason, Bonnie was to go out, dressed in a formal tuxedo, with tails that came down to just above the back of her knees.

But, Bonnie being Bonnie, she wasn't _**totally**_ formal: she wasn't wearing pants.

The black tights that she wore were accentuated by the 4-inch spike black heels, and all Ned could do was create a Ron Stoppable signature moment:

Mad Dog foams at the mouth!

"Merry Christmas, Ned," Bonnie purred as she clicked her way across the room and sat on his lap.

"What are you thinking, dear?" She asked with her patented grin on her face after his face unfroze from the grin she'd applied with her entrance.

Ned scrunched up his face and mimicked Groucho:

"'I'd like to say that I'm having a revolting thought.

"I'd like to, but I just can't, because it just isn't,'" and Bonnie grinned and giggled as she leaned in and kissed him.

"Bonnie, " he smiled warmly to his lovely wife as he took her head in his hands, "why is it that _**nothing**_ that you do surprises me, but that _**everything**_ you do still thrills me so?"

"For several reasons, 'Ned-ster," she giggled as she nuzzled his neck. "One: I'm _**full**_ of surprises; two, I can do **_anything_**: a certain red-head taught me that; and, three, you're a **very** lucky man, Mr. Rorem."

"I don't know about one and two," Ned replied as Bonnie swiped at his hand, "but I'll definitely concur with that last assessment, Mrs. Rorem. Merry Christmas, BonBon," and he kept her from saying anything further as he captured her mouth with his.

-----

Tara laughed as she looked at the stocking that her husband held, complete with his name on it.

"What?" Wade asked as he hung his three-foot stocking on the fireplace mantel.

"Just how much **coal** did you have to get to fill that?" Tara asked, coyly, and Kathrine laughed as she hung hers up. Wade replied with more fruit: raspberries, specifically.

"Well, it grew as I got older," Wade explained. "Mom got this one for me after Joss' first Christmas with us. I never hung it up after we broke up," he smiled sadly, "too many memories tied to it, even after Mom begged me to hang it up.

"She asked me to hang it after she and Dad died, once, for her," Wade turned away from the mantel and smiled at his wife, "or, when I found someone else.

"I said 'if I find someone,' and she corrected me: 'when, Wade: not if,' she repeated.

"This is my first Christmas without them, and I had hoped that I wouldn't be alone for Christmas," he reached for and took both Tara's and Kathrine's hands. "I never imagined that going to a lawyer could turn into this; well, without legal fees, anyway," and, laughing, he bent down a bit and kissed Kathrine's cheek, then lifted his head and kissed his wife.

"That's why I had these made for the two of you," he had reached into his pocket and pulled out two small boxes, handing one to each Tara and Kathrine.

The ladies grinned as they took the jewelry boxes from Wade (they knew their box sizes) and growled as they realized that Wade had sealed every possible paper edge with tape. After a few moments, though, they each found a missed corner and proceeded to tear the paper off, grinning as they opened the boxes and gasped.

"Wade," "Daddy," came from their mouths at the same time as they looked inside their boxes.

"Where did you find these?" came from their mouths at the same time.

"Dad gave some to Mom, years ago, and I knew that she liked them. She left me explicit instructions to make certain that whoever I married would get the first ones, and my first daughter would get the second. I don't think she expected both to happen at the same time," he laughed, "but, so much for expectations."

"Daddy, thank you," Kathrine's face was wet as she removed the earrings from the box and put them on. "They're beautiful." She looked up at him and smiled, the light pale pearl, and the Concho pearls dangling underneath, contrasted beautifully with Kathrine's medium-brown skin tone.

"Once, again, Dr. Load, your daughter is correct: they're beautiful," Tara had placed hers in her ears, her face wet, as well. Her black pearl, accompanied by mirrored dangling Concho pearls, also contrasted beautifully with Tara's pale skin tone.

"They're even more beautiful, now that they're on the two most beautiful women in the world," Wade replied, and he was rewarded for his statement by kisses on each cheek.

"Thank you, my darling husband," Tara whispered, and Wade grinned as Tara licked his ear and whispered an additional comment.

"Later, lover," he whispered back with a grin, causing a moan from Kathrine.

"Jeez, you two, do I need to hose you down?" she grinned.

"You're just jellin' because Mikey's not here," Wade laughed, and Kathrine blushed.

"Well, he **has** sent me his link, and we've chatted…a few times," Kathrine grinned, and Tara laughed as Wade winced.

"You're only 11, and I'm already going to have to talk to Kim's dad about deep space probes," he moaned.

"DADDY!" Kathrine yelled, then grinned and kissed his cheek again. "I'm going to bed, now, so you two can make 'mad monkey sounds' in here," she laughed as she kissed her mother.

"I'm not 'mad monkey-ing' anything, just yet," Wade replied. "That's for later," he mumbled under his breath with an evil grin He continued in his normal voice: "I've still got to check on dinner for tomorrow.".

"Remember, Kathrine: breakfast at 7:30 before any openings," Wade laughed as she whined.

"But, Mom, why?" Kathrine moaned, and Tara laughed.

"The old ways are a'changin', daughter: we need to do something not based on Dick's family traditions," Tara responded.

"Works for me," Kathrine replied, then created an evil grin. "Unless newDad wants to show off his legs: I think we can find some pantyhose for him in his size," she grinned, and Wade winced.

"'I don't **_think_** so,' daughter, but thanks for the offer….I think," Wade replied with a perplexed look on his face that turned into a smile when both Tara and Kathrine laughed.

"'night, Daddy," Kathrine waved as she ran up the stairs, closing her door.

"Wade," Tara said as they headed into the kitchen, "you didn't have to do that, and you certainly don't have to do all the cooking: let me help," she said as she wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Yes, I did," Wade said as he checked the dough rising on the counters and checked the smokers. "And, yes, I do, Tara; you've been so busy with your mergers and your firm, this year, you deserve some down time tomorrow, especially after all the decorating you've done.

"Besides, it was my idea to have the mob in the house this year, and you deserve to watch me make a fool of myself while they all show up," he grinned, and Tara p'shawed him.

"Like, have you ever done anything foolish in your life?" she asked, and Wade thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"But I'm not tellin' what, where, or when," he responded with a grin as he headed out of the kitchen.

"I'll be up early: good news is that the meats will be ready with no problems; I'll just have to heat them. Fruit salad is ready, but the greens salads aren't. It'll be easy and quick: if you insist on helping, you can help me with them while I'm working on the veggies."

"Oh, all right," Tara faux-whined and smiled as she turned off the kitchen lights and headed up the stairs with her husband in front; she reached forward and pinched Wade's rear, causing him to jump. He stopped and turned, grinning.

"I like how it moves when you walk up the stairs; if we only had a one-story ranch, I'm certain we'd have to move," Tara smiled as he turned and ran up the rest of the way, followed by a long-legged Valkeryie taking steps two-at-a-time.

Tara ran into the bedroom, laughing, as Wade held a water pistol in each hand.

"No more pinching," he stated calmly: "I'm armed and dangerous," he added.

"Let me get changed, and I don't think you'll need those," Tara smiled, went into her bathroom, and closed the door.

Wade changed into his pajamas, turned out the bedroom lights, turned on the bedside lamps, and got into bed before Tara opened the bathroom door.

"Gooooo, Mad Dogs," she smiled, and Wade had a 15-year-old's flashback:

Tara was wearing her MHS cheer outfit, and she still filled it well. One difference: she was wearing stockings the color of her uniform and two-inch heels.

"Do you remember what I asked you during our first date, Wade?"

"You mean, if I ever created a 'detailed model' of you?"

"Precisely, my darling." Tara ran, executed a perfect forward flip onto the bed, spurring on Wade's flashback and getting his 'memory juices' flowing as she nailed the landing on the bed, arms raised in 'V' for victory. She then knelt on the bed, turning off the light on her nightstand, and cuddled up next to a now-grinning-like-an-idiot Wade.

"Tara, you were so beautiful, and I was so in love with you, I just _**couldn't**_ make a model of you: it just didn't seem right," Wade finally admitted, his smile visible in the light from the lamp on his night stand.

"That's what I suspected," Tara pulled the covers back and rubbed Wade's chest through his pajamas. "Thank you, my love."

"And, you wondered, why I felt that way?" Wade grinned. "Just look at you: my dream, come to life, and in my bed at Christmas, no less; next door, the daughter of my dreams…just don't tell her I said that, Tara: I don't think we'd ever get her head out of her room," Wade laughed.

"The only thing missing," Wade's tears began to flow, "are my parents, Tara: I wanted one more Christmas with Mom and Dad," and with that admission, Wade fell into his wife's arms, sobbing as he felt her warmth ease his soul.

"Feeling better, I guess," Tara observed with a smirk as Wade's hands began to wander over the cheerleader uniform, and he began to caress her legs.

"Oh, my: and, people wondered why Ron wanted to be '_The_' Mad Dog," Wade laughed as he continued to caress Tara's legs, then moved down and slipped her shoes off and began to massage her feet.

"Oh, my, that's good, darling," Tara moaned as Wade's hands worked magic on Tara's feet.

"Are you wearing…?"

"No," Tara grinned, and Wade slid up and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into total darkness.

"I knew that there was a reason I had the interior walls all soundproofed," Wade said, and Tara told him to stop talking without saying a word.

-----

"Jason!"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Lights out, dear: tell Kathrine Merry Christmas, and good night," Jocelyn Possible-Lopez laughed from the doorway.

"How did you…?"

"I know what a Load can do to your heart, that's how," Joss laughed.

(J-MikePL3) gtg, kat: c u in the am, k?

(ultmt-daughter-007) k, J-man; btw, rose is getting lonely.

(J-MikePL3) k, all right (LOL!) will c wht I can du.

(ultmt-daughter-007) don't say Du! LOL!

(J-MikePL3) couldn't resist, k; talk to u in the am after presents. Sweet Dreams, my bronze-skinned princess of Middleton.

(ultmt-daughter-007) (big smile) toss U a kiss, k, J-man. Fire rainbows, forever to you, friend.

(J-MikePL3) night, luv.

(J-MikePL3) has disconnected.

(ultmt-daughter-007) night, love.

(J-MikePL3) has disconnected and did not receive the message: night, love.

(ultmt-daughter-007) Why do you think I sent it after he signed off? Kathrine typed, then cleared the screen.

(ultmt-daughter-007) Jess, you there?

Request sent to Jgirl2014M

Jgirl2014M has accepted login request.

(Jgirl2014M) whazzup, kat?

(ultmt-daughter-007) jess, I think I'm in love. What does it feel like?

(Jgirl2014M) kat, don't hurry all the time, k? Life won't pass u by.

(ultmt-daughter-007) but, he's sooooooooo cute!!!!!!!

(Jgirl2014M) well, that makes it all right LOL. Maybe you'll get him for Christmas.

(ultmt-daughter-007) thx loads, jess.

(Jgirl2014M) go to sleep, kat: see if you dream about him.

(Jgirl2014M) good night, kat.

(ultmt-daughter-007) pdp pdp pdp alright. Nite, jess.

(Jgirl2014M) has disconnected

-----

Wade opened his eyes slowly and smiled, a mess of wonderfully blond hair tickling his face.

'Mom, Dad: Merry Christmas: I'm certainly going to have one, even without you, because all my dreams have come true: Tara, and a daughter, all in one wonderful package!'

He slipped carefully out of the bed, not waking Tara in the process, and went in to grab a quick shower.

He was halfway finished when he felt a hand on his back.

"Merry Christmas, Wade," Tara's voice came over his shoulder as she started to wash his back, creating a smile on Wade's face and an unplanned, yet not unwelcome, reaction.

"If you keep doing that, we'll never get downstairs," Wade said.

"And, your point?"

"And, Kathrine will come looking for us after a time."

"Party-pooping husband," Tara leaned into his back, causing more biological reactions from Wade.

"I'm leaving, now," he stepped out of the shower and looked back with a smile.

"You know, darling," Wade smiled, "Only _**you**_ can make water look that good," Wade shut the shower door to Tara's laugh.

'GF, you've definitely got it goin' on,' Tara smiled as she soaped herself.

-----

Kathrine snapped awake suddenly:

'It's Christmas morning!' she grinned as she swung her feet out of the bed.

'I have a real Daddy for Christmas!' she grinned even bigger as she headed for her shower.

'And, I have a present for Mikey that I _**know**_ he would like if he were here,' she grinned as she started her shower and, removing her pajamas, stepped into the shower.

"M, I, K-E-Y; M, I, K-E-Y; M, I, K-E-Y; and Mikey is his name-Oh," she sang as she washed her hair.

She finished her shower, dried herself, dried her hair with her new hair dryer, and slipped on a new pair of Christmas pajamas before she left the bathroom. She stopped and looked at her bedroom door.

Inside the door, on the floor, were a pair of slippers, but that wasn't what grabbed her attention:

The slippers were pink, the front had a pig face, complete with snout, and the rear had a curly pig tail.

"Daddy," she whispered with a grin as she slipped on her new piggy slippers, her robe, and headed downstairs.

-----

Kathrine bounded down the stairs and turned to the kitchen.

"NOT AGAIN?!?!?"

Wade and Tara were standing in front of the open 'fridge, kissing. They broke their kiss when they heard the cry of exasperation.

"Yes, again," Wade replied as he reached in and retrieved the orange juice, closing the door as Tara headed for the table.

"Sure you don't want any help, love?" Tara sat, smiling as he put the juice on the counter.

"No need, pretty lady: cinnamon apple/pear pancakes are a'grillin', and the bacon is a'sizzlin," Wade grabbed the glasses from the cabinet above the counter and put them on the counter below, next to the milk and juice. He then checked the grill, flipping a mound of bacon, and checked the griddle, flipping pancakes expertly. Wade, lowering his voice to a deep bass and doing his best Bing Crosby impression, then sang "'grillin' in a Winter Wonderland.'"

Kathrine laughed as she watched him flip pancakes in the air, landing uncooked-side-down expertly every time and with no drippy mess. "Somebody's been practicing," she laughed as she poured milk and juice and took the glasses to the table, placing them in front of mother, then returning and pouring glasses for herself and sitting at the table.

"Between Mom, Dad, and Ron, I had no choice but to learn," Wade said after a minute as he lifted the last of the bacon off the grill, adding it to the platter.

He moved the pancakes from the griddle to the platter containing the bacon and turned everything off before he carried the piled-high platter to the table; at the same time, Tara stood and went to the cabinet, retrieving the maple and blueberry syrups and carrying them to the table. Kathrine stood and went to the counter, pouring her Dad both juice and milk and bringing them back to the table as the food and parents all arrived at the same time.

"What, no grape jelly?" Wade asked, and Tara giggled as Kathrine glared at him.

"What? I know that some people put grape jelly on pancakes," Wade explained as Tara got quiet as Kathrine continued to glare.

They all sat, stared at each other for a moment, and all broke out in laughter.

"Like the dance, daughter?" Wade asked when he was able to slow his laughing, and Kathrine was still chuckling.

"How long have we been doing that?" Kathrine asked.

"Never," Tara replied, holding her hands out to her daughter and husband.

"Last Christmas, there were two," Tara smiled; "we were together, Kathrine, but we were alone. Your laughter this morning proved that to me: I can't remember you laughing this much on any Christmas morning past.

"We have been truly blessed," Tara held up her husband's hand and kissed it, drawing a smile to Wade's lips.

"Will you lead us, Wade?" He nodded, and they all lowered their heads.

-----

"What's in the big boxes, Dad?" Kathrine sat on the floor in the middle of a pile of wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. She had the 'queen of the mound' look on her face, and both Wade and Tara were smiling.

"Something I hope that you and your mother will like," Wade smiled as he slid one in front of Tara and one in front of Kathrine.

"They're heavy," Tara said as she tried to slide it with her foot to no avail. She bent over and grabbed the box, earning a wolf whistle from Wade, followed by a loud sigh from Kathrine.

Tara opened the box and pulled out the first book.

"It's one of your mother's!" Tara exclaimed as she saw the picture on the rear. She opened the cover and gasped, then quietly read, tears coming to her eyes.

"Wade, when did she do this? How could she have known?"

"Known what, Tara?" Wade asked.

"You hadn't read the inside note?"

"No: Mom told me that she had these boxes sealed and ready for my first Christmas with my wife," Wade replied.

"What did she say?"

Tara started to read the enclosed note aloud after she wiped tears from her eyes.

"'To my new daughter-in-law:

"'I wish I could be there with you this Christmas, but obviously my plans didn't work out like I wanted them to. I know that you're not a red-head,'" Tara laughed, "'since my son should have learned by now...or, at least, I hope so.

"'Anyway, I've signed a full set of first editions enclosed here for you: I saved them for you, since Wade already has a set in his office: knowing him, he won't turn them loose for you! I hope that they bring you as much joy to read as they brought me to create.

"'All the best, and all my love,

"'Rachel Nathan Load (the mother-in-law you won't have to argue with!)'"

"What's that on the back?" Kathrine asked, and Tara flipped the paper over and read, then broke into a wave of laughter and tears at the same time.

"Tara?"

"Your mother really did know her son," she laughed as she passed him the note, but Kathrine intercepted it and read it aloud.

"'P. S.

"'DIL, if your first initial is T, all I can say is:

"'I'm glad my son finally woke up and smelled the blonde-ness. He's been in love with you ever since he first saw you cheer, even more than he thought he loved Kim or Joss. I'm glad he finally caught on and listened to his heart instead of his head. All I can say is…BOOYAH! RNL'

"Let that be a lesson to you, Kathrine: mothers _**always**_ knows best," Tara smiled as Wade, having had come over and sat on the arm of her chair, kissed Tara's tears away.

Kathrine sat in the middle of her pile of paper, suddenly afraid to open her box.

"I have one more present for the two of you, and this is the perfect time to show you," Kathrine stood. "One thing, though: you need to get dressed, first. I'll meet you back down here in 10 minutes," and, with that, Kathrine scooped up her clothes she'd received as presents and headed up the stairs.

"What does she have planned, now?" Wade asked as he held out his hand; Tara took it, and he raised her to her feet. They headed up the stairs, the smells of the meats and breads cooking accompanied the smell of the coffee brewing.

-----

"All right, Kat, we're ready," Tara said as she looked at Kat.

"Coats, please and thank you, Daddy," she smiled, and Wade opened the closet door and handed each their coats. They donned them and opened the front doors, stepping outside into the moderately-falling snow. The three stepped out onto the front sidewalk, and Kathrine turned them to face the right side of the front of the house.

"Now, Wade-A," Kathrine said, her new white puffer hooded down jacket wrapping her warmly, and the white faux-fur-trimmed hood framed her brown face and dark black hair.

"Your wish is my command, Mistress Kathrine," the Wade-Avatar laughed, and the house front shimmered and dissolved, revealing three large bags draped over what appeared to be plants.

Kathrine stepped into the yard and trudged to the closest bag and removed it, revealing-

"A large, plastic, yellow rose?" Tara was smiling, even though she still thought she was missing something.

"Well," Tara laughed, "at least they're not plastic cacti," and Wade's laughed shook the house.

"Three, to be precise, here in the front: I assumed that it would not be a good idea to plant real ones in the winter, and the gardeners at the store validated my assumption.

"There are three here in the front," she repeated: "One for me, one for you, Mom, and one for you, Dad," Kathrine smiled through the falling snow. "I got these to show you and everyone, who comes to our house, just how much I love you and how much love there is at this house.

"Oh, and by the way," Kathrine continued to smile as her mother and father tried, unsuccessfully, to hold in their tears, "there are four more, out back: one each for Grandma and Grandpa Strong, and one each for Grandma and Grandpa Load.

"They'll come in the spring and replace the plastic with real bushes: I wouldn't want anyone to think that Kim and Ron lived here," Kathrine laughed, and she was smashed into the snow by her parents running and grabbing her, all three laughing as they fell into the snow drifts that had formed.

They lay there, laughing and crying and being the recipient of falling snow, Wade and Tara alternating their hugs between each other and their wonderful daughter.

-----

"Kathrine," Tara finally made it to her feet after several minutes of playing in the snow with each other, "you're having seven planted, correct?"

"That's a big correct-a-mundo, Mom," Kathrine replied, brushing the snow out of her hair.

"Is there room for any more?" she asked, and Wade almost levitated to his feet and grabbed Tara's hand.

"How many more, Mom?" Kathrine asked, looking perplexed.

"Oh, at least one, possibly two; actually, definitely two," Tara smiled at Wade and nodded to the unasked question in his eyes. His eyes lit like the sun, and his face positively glowed as his right hand shot up to the heavens with a gigantic:

"_**BOOYAH!"**_

"Dad?" Kathrine looked at Wade's tear-streaked grinning face, then at the same face on her mom.

"Kathrine, how do you feel about being an older sister?" and Kathrine got it and echoed her dad with her right hand shooting up to the heavens with a Kathrine-sized:

"_**BOOYAH!"**_

-----

"Did you take out the wrapping paper bags, Kathrine?" Wade called from the kitchen.

"Checked for any extras missed, folded the boxes, bagged the paper, bows, and ribbons, and all trash outside; boxes are in the stack in your study, as you requested," Kathrine was still beaming after the news of her new expanded family, and she and Wade has restricted Tara to the lounge chair in the living room while they cleaned up the living room and Wade then headed to the kitchen to prepare for the upcoming 1:00 PM dinner.

Wade finished setting the table in the dining room, and Kathrine was counting places.

"Wow, Dad, we have a 'load' of folks coming," and Wade shot her a giant raspberry.

"Who's coming?"

"Well, Uncle Ned and Aunt BonBon, for starters.

"Uncle Ron and Aunt Kim and their kids," Wade added.

"And, Uncle Ron isn't cooking?"

"Not this time," Wade replied as he removed the prime rib roasts from the smokers and tenting them to rest before slicing for dinner. He'd already tented the hams, and the veggies were either in the oven, prepped for stir-fry, or in timed steamers and crock pots; he was busying himself slicing green onions and green peppers and tomatoes for the salads.

"So, I take it Aunt Kim isn't cooking, either, huh?" Kathrine grinned.

"Aunt Kim's been fooling us all these years, Kathrine: I found out a few years ago that Kim's a wonderful cook, but she hates to do it because she'd rather have Ron do it and clean up, too," Wade replied, scraping the sliced items into the three large salad bowls. He then began to alternate layers of tomato, basil leaves, and mozzarella slices on a final platter, drizzling EVOO on the final product and grinding fresh cracked black pepper on top of the entire salad.

"Uncle Drew, Aunt Shirley, and Ann: they were visiting Ed and their mother this morning in the Retirement Center, and they're going back to have dinner with both of them at 6:00 PM."

"So, who are the other chairs for?" Kathrine asked, and the doorbell rang.

"Them," Wade replied. "Get that, will you, dear?" he asked, and Kathrine put down her towel and headed for the door.

"Merry Christmas, Kat," Jessica stood with a big grin on her face, the snow comng down, hard. "There's a 'bunch' behind me," and Jessica stepped aside to reveal-

"Not more _**GRAPES**_, Jess!" Kathrine cried out, and Jess pulled the final crate of 20 pounds of grapes next to the house.

"Merry Christmas, Kat," Jess continued to smile, then could hold it no longer and burst out laughing.

"There's another 'bunch' coming up the sidewalk behind me, so get the room ready," Jess laughed as she hugged the laughing and steaming Kathrine, then stepped aside to reveal the person behind her-

The person behind Jessica was holding a bouquet of yellow, lavender, and red roses, and he was dressed in a Western-style shirt and a bolo around his neck, sharp black slacks and black boots completing the look.

Kathrine looked at the face and never noticed the rest:

"Merry Christmas, Kathrine," Jason Michael Lopez handed Kathrine the bouquet of roses and a small package, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.

'She's even prettier than I remembered, and…oh, my, she can't be as young as me: she's beautiful up there, and it's not padding, either!'

Kathrine could tell where Mikey's eyes went. 'Gotcha!' She thought as she followed his eyes to her chest. 'It may not be much, but it's certainly got his attention!' She fingered the bouquet in her hand and smiled.

"I didn't get you anything, Mikey," Kathrine whined as she tried to figure out if she was mad at her parents or exceedingly happy with them.

"You did, Kathrine: your smile is all I needed for my heart for Christmas," Mikey replied.

"That was almost as slick as mah Aggie used to do, Kathrine," Jocelyn Possible-Lopez said from behind her youngest son.

'Kin we come in?" Joss laughed, and Kathrine pulled Mikey into the room, allowing the rest of the Lopez family to come in.

"Kathrine, this is my daughter, Hannah Esther, and my oldest son, Samuel David," Joss introduced her family to Kathrine.

"This is my friend Jessica Giggs, Aunt Joss; Jess, this is my almost-Mom, Joss, and her daughter Hannah," Kathrine laughed.

"Hello, Jessica," Hannah grinned as she hugged Jessica.

"Jessica: a name almost as lovely as its holder," Samuel nodded as he took Jessica's hand and squeezed it gently. Jessica's medium five-foot six-inch frame was a complement to Samuel's five-foot eight-inch frame. Samuel liked her; with her brown eyes, doe-eyed smile, and a wonderful figure, Jessica was most definitely feminine, Samuel thought, a beautiful young woman capped by a stylish brownish-blond hairstyle. 'I could get used to spending time with her: very, very easily,' he thought as he released Jessica's hand.

Jessica, on the other hand, liked his dark black hair, not one out of place, and his outfit: Western, like Mikey's, but more mature-looking, for some reason. 'I could get used to watching those eyes, though,' Jessica thought as she stared into his dark eyes and felt him release her hand, the warmth converting instantaneously to a cold chill.

"And, Kathrine: I've heard lots from Mikey for the last few days…well, nothing but you," Samuel grinned, and Kathrine glanced at a blushing Mikey.

"Where's Tara?" Joss asked.

"Tara's here, Joss," Tara came out of the living room, smiling.

"Tara," Joss smiled as they two ladies hugged, Tara pulling Joss and Hannah into the living room, and squeals came from the room within minutes as Kathrine took Jess, Samuel, and Mikey to the game room while she directed Steven Lopez to the kitchen were Wade was finishing the last steps of meal preparation.

-----

The table was well-populated:

Ron Stoppable and his wife Kim Possible-Stoppable, with their three kids Ronald Dean, Jr., Timothy Ryan, and June Jamie-Anne;

Drew, Shirley, and Ann Lipsky.

Stephen Lopez and his wife Jocelyn Possible-Lopez, with their three kids Jason Michael, Hannah Esther, and Samuel David Lopez

Ned Rorem and his wife Bonnie Rockwaller-Rorem.

Wade Load and his wife Tara Load, their daughter Kathrine, and her BFF Jessica Giggs.

The table was filled with food: prime rib and baked ham; both baked and garlic-chive mashed potatoes; stir-fried asparagus, baby bok choy, baby carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, green beans, and snow peas; fruit and green salad, and freshly-made and baked rolls.

"Wade, you did all this?" Ron smiled at his friend.

"I did it so Tara could have a day off, and some leftovers for some more days' off, but I found out this morning I'm glad I'm good at this," Wade replied.

"Why is that, Wade?" Kim asked.

Tara smiled. "Because I'm going to busy in another 7.5 months or so," and the ladies all whooped.

Tara held up her hand to silence, then held up two fingers, and the table burst into applause.

Ned was applauding and looking at his wife, and Bonnie nodded imperceptibly.

When the applause died down, Ned spoke up.

"Tara, Wade, that's wonderful; but Tara, I'm afraid you're not the only one here in that condition," and he smiled and nodded at Bonnie, who grinned and rubbed her stomach.

"7.5 months to go, also," Bonnie announced, and the applause rocked the room.

"Well, it looks like this table will need to be bigger next year,:" Kathrine remarked, and the laughter came from all.

"Sounds like 'Bad Wade's' been 'Good,'" Kim smiled sweetly as Wade blushed and Tara laughed and kissed his cheek to the laughter of the room.

"Blessings abound," Drew remarked. "Someone's been 'embracing their fellow man' a bit much," he grinned, and Shirley and Ann both hit him with their napkins.

"_**DADDY**_!" Ann laughed, and Kathrine sighed and grinned at Ann. Ann looked up and smiled.

"Something tells me we're going to get along well," Ann laughed as she stretched her hand out to Kathrine.

"Yeah; you can help me break in my Dad," Kathrine remarked, taking Ann's hand and then reaching her own to Mikey.

"Parent training is never done, but it's well worth having them around," Mikey commented as he took Kathrine's hand, squeezing it gently and stretching his to Joss.

This continued until all held hands, all making a comment about something that was good for them.

"Blessings abound this season," Wade announced. "Even though I miss my parents, I have a new family, and I'm here with my new and extended family.

"Thank you all for coming and sharing your joys with all of us. We are all blessed, so let us say a few words thanking Him for our blessings and for those less fortunate," and, with that, all lowered their heads and grew silent as Wade prayed.

"For all those here, Father, we thank you.

"For all those no longer here, Father, we ask that you hold them in your arms.

"For all those suffering this season, Father, we ask that you help those you can reach and comfort those who cannot be reached.

"For all those in need, Father, we ask that you guide them to the assistance that they need.

"We know that you know what we need, even before we ask, and we thank you for all we haven't mentioned.

"Father," Wade continued as she squeezed Tara and Joss' hands, "I thank you for the women in my life: my partner in life that you sent to me when I didn't know I was as lonely as I was, and for my partner in business who continued to push me to be better when she could have dumped me by the side of the road.

"You have blessed me to capacity, Father, with the two of them, and then you exploded me with my daughter, Kathrine. Intelligent, beautiful, a wonderfully good spirit, and a spice around her that lets me know who's really in charge," the table chuckled as he continued, "and so much love, everlasting, that I, to this day, still cannot understand how you determined I should be this blessed. I love her, Father, almost as much as you love her.

"Help all of us here to remember the holiday seasons: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, and the rest of the year, and help us to continue to help others. You started so, so many years ago, and, only a blink in your eye ago, you sent a red-headed angel," and Kim blushed as Ron squeezed her hand, " to remind us that we should always help others. We've kept it going, Father; help us to continue.

"We pray in your name: Yahweh, the Creator of us all, Father God:

"Amen," and Amen and Shalom and Pax sounded around the table.

"Now, who wants prime rib?" Wade asked as he held up the carving knife and fork, and the carnage began.

**Author's afterward:**

It's over for Christmas, but Kathrine has an announcement to make. Kathrine?

(Kathrine Elizabeth Load) Momma's pregnant! You wouldn't leave a pregnant woman like that forever, would you, 'neb? (PDP comes out, and 'neb shakes his head 'no'). I didn't think so, so I'm happy to announce that we'll be back in the spring or summer (looking at 'neb, who nods) and let you know how big a beach ball Momma is!

(Tara Load) Daughter, you're pushing it….

(Kathrine) Sorry, Mom (grinning). Mom's 'delicate condition,' Dad's new jobs at MIST, the Load building on-campus, and (Kathrine smiles dreamily) Mikey.

(Wade Load) Yeah, and I think I need to talk to Kim's dad about a discount deal on deep-space probes!

(Kathrine) DAD!

(Wade) Somebody needs her Mikey fix….

(Kathrine) _**DADDY!**_ Anyhow, we'll be back, and look for Ann and me to have some real fun! Merry Christmas to all of you, and thanks for reading!

(Wade) Before we leave you, 'neb wanted me to send some very special shout-outs to some very special people:

Star-Eva01 and JAKT for their wonderful beta work;

Winona, for inspiring 'neb as a blast from his school past;

(Kathrine, sounding incredulous) Wow, Dad: you mean they really had schools back then? Books, and all?

(Tara, Joss Possible-Lopez, Shirley Lipsky, Kim Possible-Stoppable, and Bonnie Rockwaller-Rorem) _**KATHRINE**_!

(Wade) two very special young ladies: akinyi, and kt, thanks for keeping the 'neb-man in line: not even all of us could do that! All of this is for you two, and I look forward to meeting you at the Fannies.

('neb) Excuse me, Wade: And, kt, thank you ever so much: some of your ideas, that I almost didn't dare include, made it in after you suggested them!

(Wade) No big, 'nebster: And, now, if you'll excuse me, the Tade-pies are waiting for us, and Ron just spread the ice cream!

(Tara, smiling dreamily and starting to drool) Dark-chocolate fudge and fresh vanilla-bean homemade French vanilla…yummy.

(Kathrine) _**MOM**_! (Tara blushes) Thanks, everyone! Have a happy holiday season!

(Wade and Tara) Thanks, everyone, and Merry Christmas.

(Kathrine) See you at the Fannies; kt!

----

Mon-speak translations:

BF – boy friend

BFF – best female friend

BFGF – best friend girl friend

BonNed's – Restaurant owned by Ned and Bonnie (Rockwaller) Rorem

BW/AW – Before Wade / After Wade

c – see

DDG – drop-dead gorgeous

DIL – daughter-in-law

DTB – daddy-to-be

EVOO – extra-virgin olive oil

GF – girl friend

gtg – got to go

HFac – Hormone Factory

IYD – in your dreams

k – O. K.

KEL – Kathrine Elizabeth Load: the name she put on the grape jam and jelly labels

MIST – Middleton Institute of Science and Technology

PDP (pdp) – puppy-dog-pout

QuarterVersary – the three-month anniversary after an event.

RMO – Rocky Mountain Oysters

u – you

wht – what

----


End file.
